It was an exuberant atmosphere this afternoon in the football canteen of BVC Bloemendaal. Not because of a match victory, but because after 24 years of litigation and waiting, child of the club Baidy N’Diade (40) was finally able to receive his Dutch passport.
Baidy is ‘overjoyed and extremely grateful’ with his new nationality. More than 24 years ago he fled Mauritania and eventually ended up in the Netherlands. As an asylum seeker, he lived in the asylum seekers’ center in the Ripperda barracks in Haarlem, which is how Baidy came into contact with the football club in Bloemendaal.
Sung to
The footballer became a child at home. He owes a lot to the club, there was unconditional support and it helped with getting the right papers. This is how it turns out this afternoon and how Baidy is constantly being serenaded from a packed canteen. Those present praise his talent as a ‘fast footballer’, a footballer who runs fast at the side of the field and then passes the ball.
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Baidy gets his passport – NH News
After Baidy has received his passport from Mayor Elbert Roest, the tears of happiness come: Baidy: “I am so very happy, I want to thank everyone.”
Holidays
The brand new passport now offers Baidy, among other things, the opportunity to go on holiday. What will be the destination country? He laughs: “I would first go on holiday to Senegal. But I have never been to America, I would like to go there too.”
Koen Beeren, player from the club’s first team, is one of those present. Koen: “It’s great that we were able to do this for him as a club and that he now gets his passport. Unbelievable.”
Koen, who scored three goals this afternoon against FC Medemblik, puts his sporting success into perspective. “You can win and score three times, in the end life is about things like this and that you can help each other. Very nice this.”
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