WATCH: Spain and Netherlands Women’s football team mocks New Zealand’s indigenous ‘Haka Dance’ during 2023 FIFA World Cup
Spain's women's team at World Cup extends apology to Maori Community for disrespectful viral video mocking their culture.
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Ivana Andres with Maori people. (Source: CNN)
The captain of Spain’s women’s football team, Ivana Andres, extended her sincere apology from the team to the Maori people of New Zealand on Sunday after a video got viral on social media platforms. In the video that surfaced online, four Spain players were mocking the traditional dance, Haka, that the New Zealand community performs.
Haka is a rhythmic posture dance for the Maori tribe that involves rigorous movements along with chants and fierce expressions in an attempt to intimidate. over time it has evolved to serve various social functions, cultural events, and major occasions. Today, Haka remains one of the most important integral parts of Maori history and traditions.
The video which was captioned “We are already acclimatized” was immediately taken down following widespread criticism from Maori critics. In a gesture of contribution and respect towards their culture, Spain’s captain Ivana Andres attended a ceremony in Palmerston North. During the ceremony which lasted for an hour, Andres read out a formal apology to elders and members of the tribe.
In the heartfelt speech, Andres expressed her deep apologies and sheer appreciation for the opportunity to get in close with Maori culture during their time in Aotearoa, New Zealand. She thanked the Maori community for sharing their values and wisdom with the team.
“We’d also like to see Matariki as a way to renovate our excitement and for us to learn to enjoy, to share, and to reach for new goals and to ask for forgiveness for our mistakes and to learn more each day,” Andres stated during the powhiri ceremony.
A look at Spain’s expectations at the 2023 Women’s FIFA World Cup
With the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 underway in Australia and New Zealand, Spain’s national team is filled with excitement and anticipation to make their mark in the prestigious tournament. The team’s captain and Real Madrid center-back, Ivana Andres has expressed remorse for the controversial behavior in the viral video of mocking New Zealand’s traditional haka.
As the Spanish squad trains to face Costa Rica in their opening match, they have signs of achieving greater heights on the global stage of the team. With iconic players in the squad like Ona Battle, Aitana Bonmati, and Alexia Putellas the world-renowned two-time Ballon d’Or winner, Spain is ready to unleash their elegance on the pitch.
The players and coaching management are buckled up to represent Spain with respect and humility as theory progresses through the tournament. Spain is aiming to learn from their past faults and build upon their experiences and continue to foster their passion and determination toward the game to make their presence felt in the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
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Anshul Singh
(239 Articles Published)