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06/11 09:15 CDT Haiti's World Cup jersey deemed too political, echoing censure
of its Winter Olympic uniform
Haiti's World Cup jersey deemed too political, echoing censure of its Winter
Olympic uniform
By COLLEEN BARRY
AP Fashion Writer
MILAN (AP) --- Haiti has been forced to change the design of its World Cup
jersey after it was deemed too political by FIFA just months after the
Caribbean nation had to amend its Winter Olympic uniforms.
The jersey, by Colombian sportswear manufacturer Saeta, originally included a
depiction of the final battle of the Haitian War of Independence in 1803 on its
front. The image was rejected during FIFA's approval process.
Saeta said in a statement Wednesday that it would comply with the ban even
though the design "was not intended as a political statement," but rather as a
"tribute to the men and women who contribute every day to Haiti's future."
The jersey featured blue to mirror the sea and red for the nation's "strength
and passion," the sportswear maker said. Players wore the now-banned jersey in
a warmup match against Peru last week. The original design was currently marked
as sold out on the SaetaUSA online shop.
Similarly, the International Olympic Committee required the removal of an image
of Haitian founding father Toussaint Louverture from Haiti's opening ceremony
uniforms for the Milan Cortina Winter Games, ruling that it violated Olympic
rules barring political symbolism.
Haiti gained independence in 1804 and is widely regarded as the world's first
independent nation founded by formerly enslaved people after a successful slave
revolt.
Italian-Haitian designer Stella Jean, who designed the Olympic uniforms, came
up with a creative solution: Painting over the figure, leaving just a horse
against the background of tropical foliage. The designs were so much in demand
that Jean later created a production version featuring the original Louverture
image.
"Either way, Haiti has to be setting a record: Two rebukes from the highest
international sports authorities in just a few months," Jean told The
Associated Press on Thursday.
Haiti opens World Cup play on Saturday against Scotland in Foxborough,
Massachusetts, then plays five-time champion Brazil on June 19 in Philadelphia
and Morocco on June 24 in Atlanta.
___
AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup
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