If you are a follower of World Cup news leading up to South Africa this summer, you can be forgiven for thinking US’s group opponent England is the only country playing at the tournament.
Last week, we featured the John Terry-Wayne Bridge saga. Now David Beckham’s achilles tendon is dominating the news after he ruptured it while playing for AC Milan on Sunday, ruling him out of what would have been for him a fourth consecutive World Cup.
Incidentally, the news – also in the past week -- that right wing team mate Aaron Lennon is unlikely to overcome a groin injury any time soon is probably more worrying to coach Fabio Capello than Beckham’s sad predicament, but this is the age of celebrity.
And in between we had the slightly bizarre story that the British government will be providing $1.5 million in aid so that South Africa can buy 42 million of a required one billion condoms in the lead up to the tournament to help the fight against the spread of HIV.
An estimated 5.7 million of South Africa's 48 million people have HIV, including 280,000 children, according to the UN AIDS agency.
"Obviously there's a big focus on the World Cup coming up and a huge increase in the number of people coming into South Africa," said British international development minister, Gareth Thomas. "The South Africans have identified themselves the need to get more condoms in place. South Africa specifically asked for British assistance and we are responding to that request."
The South African government estimates that up to half a million visitors could travel to the country, raising fears of a rise in prostitution and sex trafficking from neighboring countries and eastern Europe, and creating a potential HIV timebomb.
Next week’s World Cup countdown will be English free -- I think.
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