David Beckham: For the Love of the Game Page #2

the gaffer shows me how to make one.

I don't think my ball skills

are going down too well.

- What do you think of the pitch, David?

- Perfect.

I'll have to stay on the

right-hand side the first half

and the left-hand side in the

second half, by the look of it.

It's a bit bare on the other side.

Already knackered.

(THEY CHANT)

It's the first match

he's going to be playing.

The match will last for 40 minutes.

I'm going to play

a half for each team.

Let's have a good game.

Ready to play?

(WHISTLE BLOWS)

(CHEERING)

Seeing the enthusiasm

for the sport in this remote village,

you'd never think Papa New Guinea's

national team

sit 203rd out of 209 in

the football world rankings.

(WHISTLE BLOWS)

(CHEERING)

(WHISTLE BLOWS)

The yellows open the scoring.

Not my most graceful goal ever,

but we got one back.

(WHISTLE BLOWS)

Half-time.

With the game evenly poised at 1-1,

it's time for a real ball

and for me to swap sides.

(WHISTLE BLOWS)

Gideon, who took me around

the village yesterday,

comes on and makes

an immediate impression.

With the game in the balance,

it's time for a super sub.

(WHISTLE BLOWS)

Ah, take it right, then.

Orange throw.

(WHISTLE BLOWS)

Penalty!

(WHISTLE BLOWS)

(CHEERING)

'The game finishes 2-1.

'Our matchwinner

is six-year-old Noah.

'Noah lives with his family

in the village.'

Can you ask Noah what he had

for breakfast and for lunch today?

(HE TRANSLATES)

(NOAH SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE)

His breakfast was

weet potato... - Sweet potato...

- ..and water. - ..And water.

- They do have sweet potato every meal.

- Every day, every meal.

No protein.

So I heard, to compensate

for the children not eating

the right foods,

some of the parents

provide them with fizzy drinks.

Yep, they do.

Do you think parents understand?

They don't.

It's just because of the low price.

Thank you for sharing that with me

and thank you for letting me

come to the village and play,

and be part of this game.

It was special for me. My first game

on this trip so... it was a good one.

- We are the lucky ones.

- Thank you.

Good, Noah.

Good?

Ok.

'My brief visit to Papua New

Guinea has been amazing,

'but we need to get going.

'We have almost 5,000 miles to cover

to our next destination.'

'Stage two of the trip

means a ten-hour flight to Nepal.

'I get my first glimpse

of the Himalayas and Everest.

'In 2015, Nepal was devastated

by two earthquakes,

'killing nearly 9,000 people.

'It destroyed villages,

schools and vital services,

'leaving millions of people homeless.

'The country is slowly recovering.

'I arrive in Kathmandu

'and the preparation begins

for my second match.'

Hey, how are you?

How many do you reckon you can do?

With a bag on your back. Go on.

- A couple.

- Go on, mate.

I thought he was going to say,

"I reckon I can do ten."

They'd just break.

High altitude, isn't it?

Come on, David, let me

see those muscles working.

Phew! That's enough.

News of our arrival has been

broadcast in the local media.

It looks like the crowd are just

as happy to be here as I am.

David!

Oh, my God.

'Nepal is facing a fuel

crisis at the moment

'so I jump in an electric tuk-tuk.'

These are great, by the way.

I want one of these at home.

Ooh!

I'll tell you what -

bit spongy, these brakes.

(HORNS BLARE)

We love David Beckham!

I'm on my way to Bhaktapur,

an ancient town

on the outskirts of Kathmandu.

Off road!

Uncle Albert!

Before the game,

I'm going to visit Padma School,

which was badly hit

by the earthquake.

(CROWD CHANTS):

David! Beckham!

David! Beckham!

The crowds are getting

bigger and bigger.

(CROWD SHOUTS)

But we somehow manage

to squeeze into Padma School.

I'm here to meet a student who is

going to play in the game later on.

- Hi, my name is Sarau.

- Nice to meet you.

Welcome.

(HE SPEAKS IN NEPALI)

Thank you.

- This is our principal.

- Namaste. Nice to meet you.

This is our cultural welcoming

where we greet.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

- Namaste. - Namaste.

Yes.

Thank you.

Now away from the crowds,

I really begin to understand

the scale of the devastation.

Where was you

when the earthquake hit?

- At home. - At home. - Yes.

My mum and my sis...

Was there any warning?

(HE SPEAKS NEPALI)

- Not. - No? Nothing? - Nothing.

(HE SPEAKS NEPALI)

- So you lost your home.

- Yeah.

- Can we go and see it?

- Yeah.

'Sarau now lives here

with his parents and younger sister.'

- Here is my tent.

- Ok.

Here is my mum.

Pleasure to meet you.

And that is his father.

Namaste.

Nice to meet you.

- You go inside?

- Yeah, of course. After you.

It's ok? Thank you.

Your son was saying that it was you

that went back into the house,

took all the family

into the open area.

(HE SPEAKS NEPALI)

- Yes.

- Yes.

Well done.

How long did the earthquake last for?

Yeah.

- And that's the kitchen? - Yeah.

- Do you want to see? - Yes. It's ok?

- Yeah.

- Thank you.

We have no gas

and we still cook here.

So, like, as you can see,

we are facing a fuel crisis

at the moment with India

so now, since they have run out

of cooking gas,

now they have to cut trees

from the nearest forest

which is just up there

and then they have to burn wood,

which makes life

even more difficult.

Like staying in a tent,

like it gets smoky.

- Do you cook?

- Yes.

- What is your favourite dish?

- Meat. - Meat.

- And your mama is a good...

- She's a good cook? - Yeah.

- The best?

- Best cook in the world.

Mums, always the same,

everywhere in the world.

'Sarau's extended family

also live in the camp.'

Namaste.

She is four years old.

My daughter is the same.

'It's moments like this,

away from the crowds,

'when people invite me into their

homes, I find incredibly humbling.'

Let's just go in here.

Namaste.

CHILDREN:

Namaste!

'All of these kids have been affected

by the earthquake.

'They're now being taught

in makeshift classrooms.'

What are you teaching the children?

- To play basket...

- Basketball, ok. Ah, ok.

- Can I join in?

- Yeah, why not.

Is that ok?

(WHISTLE BLOWS)

One, two, three, four!

Five, six, seven, eight!

10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16,

17, 18, 19, 20!

Being a parent, being a father,

to see the happiness of the children

really is incredible.

34,000 classrooms had been destroyed

by the earthquake.

44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50!

The fact that UNICEF and other

charities got in here very quickly

and were able to actually

give the children back

a slight bit of normality

actually brings a lot of happiness

to the families.

Since I've been at the school,

thousands more people have arrived.

So I slip out of the back.

This is Taumadhi Square,

dominated by a 300-year-old temple,

the venue for my second game.

People always ask me

where is the best stadium

that I have ever played in,

I think this actually could be it.

I'm excited about this one,

actually.

(SPECTATORS CHANT)

I'll be playing against two mixed

teams from Padma High School.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes