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1 | For the Love of Football and Bolivia | Noho Ny Fitiavana Ny Baolina Kitra Sy I Bolivia |
2 | Bolivia vs. Peru at the Hernando Siles Stadium in La Paz - Photo by Eddie Avila. | Bolivia vs. Pero ao amin'ny Kianjaben'i Hernando Siles any La Paz - Sary avy amin'i Eddie Avila. |
3 | The year was 1994, and Bolivia had punched its ticket to take part in the first and only World Cup appearance in its history. | 1994 tamin'izay, nahazo ny hany tapakila voalohany sady tokana handraisany anjara amin'ny fiadiana ny amboara eran-tany teo amin'ny tantarany i Bolivia. |
4 | As an added bonus, this invitation-only sporting party was taking place right in my own backyard. | Ambonin'izany, tany amin'ny tanindrazako no nanaovana io lanonana ara-panatanjahantena izay atrehina amin'ny alalan'ny karatra fanasana ihany io. |
5 | To see his national team make it this far was a Bolivian football fan's dream, right? | Lavitry ny nofinofin'ny mpankafy baolina kitra any Bolivia ny hijery ny ekipam-pireneny milalao izany, sa tsy izany ? |
6 | Yet one problem remained: it wasn't my national team…yet. | Nefa na dia izany aza mbola misy olana iray mitoetra : tsy …mbola ekipam-pireneko io. |
7 | I admit it. | Ekeko izany. |
8 | Growing up in the United States the son of Bolivian immigrants, the sport of football-or soccer, as it's known in the US-never really interested me as a youngster. | Zanakà mpifindra monina Boliviana lehibe tany Etazonia aho, ny fanatanjahan-tena baolina kitra- na soccer- no fahalalàna azy any Etazonia- dia tena tsy nahaliana ahy teo amin'ny fahatanorako. |
9 | I preferred to play playground basketball pick-up games with my friends after school. | Aleoko milalao manangona ny baolina baskety miaraka amin'ny namako aorian'ny fianarana. |
10 | On Sunday afternoons, while my dad was watching Mexican league matches on Spanish-language television with the familiar broadcaster's call- “GOOOOOOOOOL!!!”-resonating throughout the house, my brother and I would be watching “American” football on the other TV. | Ny alahady tolakandro, rehefa mijery ny fifanintsanana Meksikana amin'ny fahitalavitra miteny Espaniola ny dadako miaraka amin'ny antsoantson'ilay mpitantara mahazatra hoe - “GOOOOOOOOOL!!!”- manakoako manerana ny trano, izaho sy ny rahalahiko kosa mijery baolina kitra “Amerikana” aminà fahitalavitra hafa. |
11 | On our street, nobody set up a pair of rocks to a make makeshift goal to kick around a black-and-white ball on lazy Saturday afternoons. | Eo amin'ny arabe misy anay, misy olona mametraka vato anankiroa hatao tsatokazo mba handakàna baolina fotsy sy mainty ny Sabotsy hariva mahakamo. |
12 | We were the only Bolivian family in our Kansas town, so it was only natural that football didn't figure much in my early life. | Izahay ihany no fianakaviana Boliviana tao Kansas tanàna nisy anay, izany no antony tsotra tsy mampisento ahy tamin'ny baolina kitra tamin'ny fiainako tany aloha. |
13 | When tickets went on sale for the World Cup in the United States, my dad was already well versed in the ticketing process. | Rehefa nanomboka namidy ny tapakila ho an'ny Fiadiana ny Amboara eran-tany tany Etazonia, dia efa nandrotsaka vola ho amin'ny fividianana tapakila ny dadako. |
14 | He knew which times and travel routes to take in order to see as many matches as possible in Dallas, Texas, the city closest to us. | Fantany ny ora sy ny làlana aleha ahafahanay mijery lalao maro araka izay azo atao toy ny tany Dallas, Texas, sy ireo tanàna manakaiky anay. |
15 | Countless times he asked if I wanted to come along, but I had better things to do. I finally relented for one of the last matches in the First Round, curious to see what the fuss was all about, and with tickets in hand, we made our way to Dallas to see Argentina vs. Bulgaria. | Efa im-betsaka izy no manontany ahy raha te- handeha aho, nefa manan-javatra tsara atao foana aho. Nilefitra ihany aho tamin'ny lalao farany tamin'ny fihodinana voalohany, kiriana te-hahita ny anton'ny horakoraka, ary niaraka t'ny tapakila teny an-tànana, nanohy ny làlanay ho any Dallas izahay hijery ny lalaon'i Arzantina sy Bolgaria. |
16 | The majority of football fans packed into Dallas's Cotton Bowl stadium that day were first- or second-generation immigrants, taking full advantage of the opportunity to see their national teams so close to home. | Andian-taranaka voalohany na faharoa avy amin'ire ompifindra monina no ankamaran'ireo mpankafy baolina kitra nifanizina tao amin'ny Kianjan'i Cotton Bowl any Dallas tamin'io andro io ary nanam-bintana tamin'ny fijerena ny ekipam-pireneny teo akaikin'ny tranony. |
17 | For them, football was a gateway to a little piece of familiarity in their adopted homeland. | Ny baolina kitra no vavahady hisian'ny fifankahafantarana kely ao amin'ilay firenena nandray azy ireo. |
18 | Before, during, and after the match, I craned my neck to soak up as much as I could of the color and rhythm emanating from the multicultural crowd. | Nalavaiko ny tendako, nialoha, nandritra ary taorian'ny lalao, mba hahafahako mankafy araka izay azoko atao ireo loko sy gadona avy any amin'ireo olona marobe avy aminà kolontsaina marolafy. |
19 | By the time the whistle sounded with a 2-0 victory for Bulgaria, the so-called “beautiful game” had gained a new fan. | Tamin'ny fotoana nitsofana ny kiririoka manambara ny fiafaran'ny lalao ary nandresen'i Bolgaria tamin'ny isa 2 no 0, dia nahazo mpankafy iray vaovao ilay antsoina hoe “lalao mahafinaritra”. |
20 | Over the next ten years, my trips to Bolivia became more frequent and lasted a little longer each time, eventually becoming a kind of crash course in being Bolivian, making up for lost time. | Tao anatin'ny folo taona manaraka, lasa natetika nankany Bolivia sy nijanona elaela tany aho isaky ny tonga any, ary dia nianatra malaky ny ho Boliviana nanonitra ny fotoana very. |
21 | I met members of my extended family for the first time, pored over old photographs, and heard stories about my grandfather's time as a soldier in the Chaco War. | Sambany nihaona tamin'ireo fianakaviambeko aho, niondrika nijery ireo sary tranainy, nihaino ny tantara tamin'ny andron'ny dadabeko izay mpiady tamin'ny Adin'ny Chaco. |
22 | And I started making connections between foods and other cultural references that were commonplace in our Bolivian-American household in the middle of Kansas, and their place of origin. | Ary dia nanomboka nampifandray ireo sakafo sy ireo fombafomba samihafa izay misy ifandraisany any amin'ny ankohonana Boliviana-Amerikana-nay any afovoan'i Kansas, sy ny toerana niaviany. |
23 | But ultimately, it was football that best helped me make sense of my bicultural and transnational existence. | Fa ny baolina kitra no nanampy ahy kokoa hampisy dikany ny fisiako miaraka amin'ny fanànana kolontsaina roa sy firenena roa. |
24 | It also played a major role in my coming to feel like Bolivia was my country too, when I finally moved there permanently in 2007, even though my childhood experiences were quite distinct from those of my local family and friends. | Nandray anjara lehibe ihany koa izy tamin'ny fahatsiarovako fa tanindrazako ihany koa i Bolivia, rehefa nifindra monina tany aho tamin'ny 2007, na dia tena tsy mitovy amin'ny an'ireo fianakaviako tao an-toerana sy ny namako aza ny niainako ny fahazazako. |
25 | Many of my recent memories from those years travelling back and forth are directly related to football. | Betsaka amin'ireo fahatsiarovana farany voarakitro tamin'ireo taona nivezivezeko nandroso sy niverina ireo no mifandraika mivantana amin'ny baolina kitra. |
26 | Since most of the national team's matches are played at 3,600 meters above sea level in the city of La Paz, I would often take a quick trip from Cochabamba, my family's city of origin, to see the World Cup qualifying matches. | Koa satria tany La Paz, tanàna any amin'ny haavo 3.600 metatra miala amin'ny ranomasina no anaovana ny ankamaroan'ny lalaon'ny ekipam-pirenena, dia matetika aho no mitaingina fitaovam-pifamoivoizana haingana avy any Cochabamba, tanàna fiavian'ny fianakaviako, mba hijery ny lalao fifanintsanana amin'ny fiadiana ny Amboara Eran-tany. |
27 | This meant taking an overnight bus, watching the match, and returning on the next overnight bus. | Midika izany fa mandeha fiara fitaterana amin'ny alina aho, mijery baolina ary avy eo dia miverina amin'ny fiara fitaterana ny alina manaraka. |
28 | All in the name of rooting for the home side hoping to see them return to the footballing world's biggest stage. | Izany rehetra izany dia amin'ny anaran'ny fototra niaviana, ao anatin'ny fanantenana hahita azy ireo hiverina indray eo amin'ny tontolon'ny baolina kitra maneran-tany. |
29 | These trips were an echo of the ones taken by my father when he was my age. | Akon'ny sasany amin'ireo dia nataon'ny raiko fony izy tamin'ny taonako ireo dia ireo. |
30 | An often-told story is of him taking the back-to-back overnight bus to La Paz to catch a glimpse of the-arguably-greatest player of all time, when Brazilian titan Pelé‘s Santos team played against the Bolivian club Deportivo Municipal. | Tantara fandre matetika ilay fandraisany fiara fitaterana manao fatra-tsaonjo amin'ny alina ho any La paz mba hijery ilay olo-malazan'ny fotoana rehetra amin'ny tantaran'ny baolina kitra, tamin'ny fotoana nikatrohan'ny ekipa Breziliana Santos-n'i Pelé sy ny ekipa Boliviana Deportivo Municipal. |
31 | I also have memories of city residents pouring into the streets to celebrating a national championship by Jorge Wilstermann, my local club team, which is named after Bolivia's first commercial pilot. | Tsaroako ihany koa ny firotsahan'ny olona teny an-dàlambe hankalaza ny nahazoan'i Jorge Wilstermann ny tompon-daka nasionaly, tarika nisy ahy tao an-toerana, izay nomena anarana avy amin'ilay mpanamory ara-barotra voalohany tao Bolivia. |
32 | I can only imagine what the scene was like when Bolivia clinched its World Cup spot in 1993 following an away tie in Quito. | Azoko sary an-tsaina hoe ohatry ny ahoana ny zava-niseho rehefa tafakatra hiatrika ny lalao Fiadiana ny Amboara Eran-tany i Bolivia tamin'ny 1993 rehefa nifampitàna tamin'i Qito. |
33 | My only reference for that wondrous moment comes from my cousins, who speak of the days of jubilation and the national holidays that followed this accomplishment. | Ny rahalahiko any an-toerana no hany fitaratro tamin'io fotoan-dehibe kanto loatra io, izay niresaka androm-piravoravoana sy fety nanerana ny firenena. |
34 | And most recently, witnessing Bolivia's 6-1 drubbing of powerhouse Argentina-complete with stars like Messi and Tevez-provided the short-lived sensation that anything was possible. | Ary farany teo ny felaka nataonin'i Bolivia tamin'ny isa 6 no 1 tamin'i Arzantina ekipa kinga sy mahay - nameno io ekipa io ireo kintan'ny baolina kitra toa an-dry Messi sy ry Tevez- no nanome fahatsapàna niserana fohy hoe hay azo atao tsara ny zavatra rehetra. |
35 | Some of the less savory aspects of Bolvian football, such as the violence between rival fans and anger towards referees and poor-performing players, remain foreign to me. | Misy fihetsika sasany tsy dia mety loatra amin'ny baolina kitra Boliviana, toy ny herisetra eo amin'ireo mpanohana ny mpifanandrina sy ny hatezerana amin'ny mpitsara ary ny tsy fahombiazan'ny mpilalao, izay tsy mahazatra ahy. |
36 | But even so, I can't imagine what the transition and assimilation to life in Bolivia would have been like without football. | Fa na dia izany aza, tsy azoko sary an-tsaina ny tetezamita sy ny fitsofohana amin'ny fiainana any Bolivia raha tsy eo ny baolina kitra. |
37 | “I can't imagine what the transition and assimilation to life in Bolivia would have been like without football.” | “tsy ho azoko sary an-tsaina ny tetezamita sy ny fitsofohana amin'ny fiainana any Bolivia raha tsy eo ny baolina kitra.” |
38 | In 2010, good fortune allowed me to travel to South Africa for the World Cup. | Mba afaka nanatrika ny Fiadiana ny amboara Eran-tany tany Afrika Atsimo aho tamin'ny 2010. |
39 | Here again I followed in my father's footsteps, maneuvering my way smoothly through the ticketing process in order to catch as many matches as I could. | Nanaraka ny dian'ny dadako ihany koa aho teto, nitady làlana moramora hahazahoana tapakila hahafahana mijery lalao maro araka izay azoko atao. |
40 | In South Africa, I savored the experience of being among fans from all around the world who share similar feelings of pride for their country through sport. | Tany Afrika Atsimo, nihanokoa izany fiarahana tamin'ireo mpankafy avy amin'ny lafivalon'izao tontolo izao izany aho izay nizara fihetsehampo nitovy, rehareha noho ny firenena niaviany tamin'ny alàlan'ny fanatanjahantena. |
41 | But I did have to content myself with daydreams of what it would have been like to see the Bolivian squad emerge from the tunnel, or hear the goosebump-inducing national anthem play over the stadium loudspeakers. | Nefa dia nionona tamin'ny nofinofiko ny amin'ny hahitàna ny ekipan'i Bolivia tafavoaka tamin'ireo karazam-pifanintsanana aho, na mandre ny hiram-pirenena mahamarin-koditra alefa amin'ireo fanamafisam-peon'ny kianja. |
42 | Another World Cup qualifying cycle nears completion, and Bolivia was eliminated months ago for its poor results. | Efa hifarana ny fifanintsanana iray ho amin'ny fiadiana Amboara Eran-tany hafa indray, ary raraka efa am-bolana maro i Bolivia noho ny haratsian'ny vokatra azony. |
43 | We must now set our sights a few years forward, when qualification matches begin for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. | Tsy maintsy mibanjina taona vitsivitsyany aloha isika izao, rehefa manomboka ireo lalao fifanintsanana hiadiana ny Amboara Eran-tany 2018 any Rosia. |
44 | If and when Bolivia reserves a place in another World Cup, I'll definitely be using my ticket-booking prowess to secure a front row seat. | Raha toa sy rehefa mamandrika toerana iray ho aminà fiadiana Amboara Eran-tany hafa indray i Bolivia andro any dia tena hikatsaka ny tapakila izay hahazoana ny toerana eo aloha aho. |
45 | And even if we never make it back in my lifetime, I'm still grateful to the sport that allowed me to establish new roots and find commonalities with the millions of other Bolivians who hold onto the same hope, not only for our national team, but for our country. | Ary na dia tsy hisy aza izany amin'izao androko izao, ho velom-pisaorana hatrany ny fanatanjahan-tena izay nampamàka indray sy nahitako ny fiombonana niaraka tamin'ireo Boliviana an-tapitrisa izay mitovy fanantenana tamiko aho, tsy ho an'ny ekipam-pirenena ihany fa ho an'ny firenenay ihany koa. |
46 | Eddie Avila lives in Cochabamba, Bolivia and is hoping to plot out his trip to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup. | monina any Cochabamba, Bolivia i Eddie Avila ary manantena ny ho any Brezila amin'ny Fiadiana ny Amboara Eran-tany 2014 . |