Thai cave boys, coach invited to Spain to see football ‘heroes’
Motorists pass a billboard with a photograph showing members of the Thai children’s football team “Wild Boar” and their coach with a message “welcome home brothers” displayed in Chiang Rai as the boys and their coach were all rescued in the Tham Luang cave in Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park in the Mae Sai district on July 10, 2018.
All 12 boys and their coach who became trapped in a flooded Thai cave more than a fortnight ago have been rescued, the Navy SEALs announced on July 10, completing an astonishing against-the-odds rescue mission that has captivated the world. / AFP PHOTO / TANG CHHIN Sothy
Spain’s La Liga football league has invited the schoolboy team rescued from a flooded cave in Thailand to come watch a game once they have recovered from their ordeal to meet their “heroes.”
“When the time is right, and everyone involved is ready I’d personally like to invite the children and the coach to attend a La Liga match” in Spain, president Javier Tebas said in a statement Wednesday.
“We’d like to host them and share with them the joy football can give, and I hope this gesture can help after the events of the last few weeks.”
La Liga said it wanted the 12 boys and their football coach, who form the Wild Boars soccer squad, to “watch many of their football heroes in action in person.”
The boys were trapped for more than two weeks after setting off to explore a cave complex in northern Thailand and getting caught by rising floodwaters.
One of the boys was wearing a Real Madrid t-shirt.
La Liga said it had messaged all its clubs to invite them to participate.
Football’s world governing body FIFA had invited the Wild Boars to Sunday’s World Cup final in Moscow, but they remain too weak to come and must stay in hospital to make sure they have no infections.
Two of them are being treated for symptoms of pneumonia.
The last of the group was finally extracted on Tuesday after a painstaking and dangerous international rescue mission led by Thai Navy SEALs.
