The disappearance of the doll “Lily” sparked the madness of the Mexican fans in Qatar, hours before they met Saudi Arabia in the third and final round of Group C competitions at the 2022 World Cup.
On Wednesday, Lusail Stadium will host the important match between Mexico and Saudi Arabia, as the two teams aspire to obtain one of the qualification cards for the round of 16.
And the Mexican media revealed, on Tuesday evening, the disappearance of the “Lily” doll, which was brought to Qatar to attend the World Cup to reflect the Mexican heritage, and the newspaper “Diario” said in a report on its website: “Lily” was last seen near Souq Waqif, and the fans pointed to That the Argentines are responsible for stealing it.
Photocopy of the news of “Diario” newspaper.
The newspaper added: The doll drove the masses crazy following it was lost, following it was placed at the entrance of a restaurant to give fans from all over the world the opportunity to take memorial photos with it, and one of the Mexicans stated that they neglected it for 15 years before it disappeared.
disappearance
The story of the doll “Lily” goes back to Queretaro, which is located in north-central Mexico, and it is one of the smallest states, but it is also the most geographically diverse state, which previously suffered from the Spanish invasion, which is still dominated culturally, economically and educationally.
“Lily” was brought to Qatar from Queretaro, and Mexican fans sent messages on social media to look for the doll. Pepe Correa, the manager of the restaurant where she was last told ESPN, “What I do know is that they left her in one place and suddenly… She’s gone, and we hope to find her before the World Cup is over.
Aboriginal culture
The ancient peoples of Central and South America relied on traditions that transcended the material level, hoping that the spirit would bridge the cultural and spiritual gap between the indigenous people. Central Mexican plateau region.
Formerly made of mud, corn and palm fronds, nowadays it is filled with cloth, with its stunning braids and crown-shaped pieces on its head, and the clothes it wears reflect the region from which it originates.
The name “Lily Doll” means child in the Otome dialect, and according to Otome people, this doll was created primarily to protect deceased children from evil spirits.
Ambassador Lilly
Since 2018, Lily has become valuable as a representative of Mexican cultural heritage, reflecting the skill of the indigenous artisans of Queretaro, who spend several days drawing, sewing and decorating the figures.
“Lily” represented a way to meet the traditions, beliefs and emotions of the indigenous people, and recently became part of the tourism promotion initiative launched by the Minister of Tourism in the state of Queretaro. The 1.5-meter-long doll was sent on a journey to Qatar to introduce the world to Mexico and the state.
In addition to her presence in the matches, she was placed in a restaurant in Doha, to give information to tourists regarding the state from which “Lily” came, in addition to being available to take pictures with her.
Symbol of Mexican unity
Last November, the state of Queretaro presented the tourism campaign, through which it was announced that “Lily” is the ambassador of the state in the World Cup, and Erica Contreras Moreno, Special Projects Coordinator of the Queretaro Tourism Secretariat, said: The World Cup is one of the most important international sporting events, allowing millions of fans in all All over the world by meeting and sharing the cultural aspects of different countries, and taking Lily to the World Cup, is an invaluable opportunity to promote Mexico, so our cultural ambassador can become a symbol of the unity of Mexicans.
Upon her arrival in Qatar, “Lily” visited the stadiums hosting the World Cup, from Al Bayt Stadium to Stadium 974, and also witnessed Mexico’s first match once morest Poland, which ended in a goalless draw.
The interesting thing is that the Mexican media is now circulating the statements of the doll, who has come to expect the results of the national team, and she said before facing Argentina, who defeated Mexico with a double: I think Mexico has everything to defeat Argentina, because despite their possession of Messi, he did not reach the World Cup at his usual level. So I expect Mexico to win 2-1.
The match ended with Argentina winning 2-0, and star Leo Messi scored the first goal and won the Man of the Match award.
craft
It is noteworthy that “Lily” is detailed by the hands of distinguished craftsmen who make special patterns and designs for the famous doll, and each craftsman makes unique pieces of a kind with selected embroidery and textiles, and their copies will not be the same, being handmade, and it is possible to differ in colors and clothes, and this is the distinctive feature of each Someone who makes it by hand.
doll making
Mexico has always been famous for making dolls, and there are the most frightening places in it, which is an island known as the “Island of the Dolls”, located south of the capital, Mexico City, containing thousands of deformed dolls that hang from trees, and the island can only be reached via a two-hour water trip.
In Mexico City, there is a museum of old dolls, which witnesses an exhibition from time to time that includes more than a thousand dolls.
