MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Malvinas/Olympics advert athlete now admits he was aware the filming was for the Argentine government

Zylberberg training at the memorial to the Battle of the Falkland Islands

Argentine athlete Fernando Zylberberg involved in the controversial Malvinas/Olympics advert which is being aired by the Argentine government, contrary to his original statements, has admitted he knew the spot filmed in the Falkland Islands would be used by the government.

In his first statements when the advert was aired last week Zylberberg had stated he was surprised by the release of the advert which ends with a direct reference to the Argentine sovereign dispute with the UK over the Falklands: “To compete on English soil, we train on Argentine soil.”

The captain of the Argentine field hockey team that will be competing in London after having defeated Canada, said in a communiqué released by several local agencies that “my life is dedicated to sports, to my family and to my friends. I do not do not have any political or media aspirations, nor do I have any political party affiliation”.

However he did admit he knew the material filmed in the Falklands would be used by the Argentine government as part of a campaign to defend “Argentine sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands”.

The 90 seconds advert shows Zylberberg training for the Games by running in the Falklands capital Stanley past several landmarks and ends with the provocative strap line playing with training in Argentine soil to compete in Britain.

“In some interviews I said I only found out about the airing of the advert two hours ahead, but it was possibly a misinterpretation of a poor explanation from my side which led to believe I had no before hand knowledge. I want to make clear that two hours before I knew the advert had been confirmed and that finally it was the (Argentine) presidency sponsoring it. I apologize for the way I explained the facts”, said Zylberberg.

On finding out about this (that the Argentine government was behind) “I accepted but as long as the (Olympics) sporting spirit and above all the homage to the fallen and veterans of that cruel (Malvinas) war was maintained”.

“We never went to the Islands under-cover or cheating anybody, we went as a group of athletes and sympathizers to film scenes to be later edited and offered in the Argentine publicity market”, added the Argentine hockey team captain.

Zylberberg again made it a point to underline he has no links with any political party or political groupings.

For the filming of the advert the Argentine branch of Y&R contracted Fly Films which belongs to two Argentine producers Jose Luis Marqués and Horacio Ciancia who back in 1999 filmed undercover in the Islands, “Fuckland”. A make-up film which tried to tarnish the image of the Falkland Islanders and which went mostly unnoticed for its poor filming, poor script and even worse contracted actors.