Martunis gets his field of dreams

Martunis gets his field of dreams

Martunis, the Indonesian boy who beat the odds to survive the Dec. 26 tsunami, was the guest of honor on Saturday as Portugal defeated rivals Slovakia 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Lisbon.

As well as watching his heroes play, the eight year old, who was rescued from a Banda Aceh beach wearing a red-and-green Portuguese shirt, also shared a moment with Portuguese great Eusebio.

He sat in the stands beside AC Milan midfielder Rui Costa, who retired from international soccer last summer.

Costa also led him out onto the field to shake hands and get kissed on the cheek by players from both sides, with the sellout crowd of 60,000 cheering and waving flags.

Among those in attendance were Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio and visiting Timor Leste Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter gave the boy a check for 40,000 euros (US$48,900), a gift from Portugal's soccer federation which organized the trip.

The money includes funds raised from an auction of shirts used by Portuguese stars, such as Real Madrid's Luis Figo and Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as direct donations from the players.

"Seeing his happiness today left me feeling happy too," Costa told state television RTP after the match.

Martunis was seven when he was found by a TV crew after living for 19 days on puddle water and dried noodles. His mother and four siblings were lost in the disaster.

The boy, who is being accompanied on his trip by his father and a psychologist, arrived in Portugal last Sunday and will return home on Monday. -- Agencies