Altador Cup (Q&A: Team Altador)

Shen: First of all, let me start by saying that it’s an honor to even be in Altador right now. I’ve heard of the beauty of this place countless times but, it’s only being in this room right now that I realize… words truly can’t express the beauty of this wonderful land.

TA Rep: I’m glad you’re impressed by the beauty of our land. As you already know, we Altadorians take much pride in maintaining the landscape of our home. Salayne Ritad is one of our most devoted citizens and he would be more than happy to hear that Altador has captured yet another fan.

Shen: I’m sure he will. As you quite well know, Timu aka “The Paint Brush” remains one of the most popular Altador Cup players of all time. I just want to now like, was it an amicable departure and if so, does she keep in contact with her former teammates? I’m asking because there were rumors that she left due to not feeling appreciated as much… as well as the fact that she, felt as if she should have been Captain and not Trapper.

TA Rep: (sighs) This question gets brought up from time to time, and the truth is: Timu is an amazing player and she pushes herself to always be better. When it was decided by the board that she was transferring to Team Shenkuu, we were absolutely devastated. However, she has improved vastly over time while playing for Shenkuu and we cannot be happier. Also, we received Foltaggio in return and he is a very promising player, so no complaints there. And no, there was no rivalry between her and Trapper, nor her and her former teammates. I mean, we were like a family. We keep in contact once in a while but most of the time, we’re either too busy gearing up for the tournament or going about our dailies.

Shen: I see, moving on to my next question. There was a bit of a tense atmosphere at the beginning of last year’s AC in which case, it was reported that an angry fan had claimed that the team wasn’t spending as much time practicing during the tournament and off-season. In which case, the team’s spokesperson said that the players were too busy deciding between Slushies and Smoothies for serving as refreshments, when asked for a comment on the angry fan’s statement. Do you want to clarify?

TA Rep: You see… the thing is… there is a lot of pressure on this team to do their very best. Most people would say that we have the home ground advantage in which, our loyal fans will be 100% supportive. That hasn’t exactly been proven true.

Shen: You’re saying that the fans haven’t been supportive of their very own team?

TA Rep: No.. (takes deep breath) .. what I’m trying to say is, the fans needs to understand the immense stress that the players are in, as they’re playing in their very own home. And of course, we are the Altador Cup host, so not only do we have to stress over the fact that the condition of our land be kept pristine to the other teams’ players as well as their supporters when they come for the tournament.

Shen: I see… so, would you say that if the Altador Cup was perhaps held annually at a different location each time, the team would have a higher chance of placing?

TA Rep: It’s not definitive, but it certainly is a possibility.

Shen: So, a repeat of Altador Cup VIII, in which the team placed second, is a possibility?

TA Rep: I sure would like to hope so. Are there any more questions?

Shen: ... Just a few more.

TA Rep: Take your time.

Shen: Who would you say are the biggest contenders for this year’s Team Altador? Like, who should they be on high alert to when it comes to the games?

TA Rep: Well, Team Shenkuu definitely; no surprise there. Mirsha Grelinek is an excellent captain and is very good in putting her team together. No doubt they will be a force to be reckoned with this year.

Shen: Team Darigan Citadel? Is that another definite?

TA Rep: (laughs) Whoa! That is a definite ‘definite’. (laughs) Layton Vickles' reputation precedes him. I’ve heard and seen him perform miracles during a game. If DC took the Cup home this year, I wouldn’t be surprised. I would also add Team Lost Desert to the list. I mean, sure.. they haven’t accomplished much in recent years, but that team is actually pretty solid.. amidst all those… rumors. Team Krawk Island too, can’t leave them out. They’re pretty consistent in their placing, at least we know that much. (laughs)

Shen: Right, final questions. What are you expecting from this year’s AC and also, what should us, as the fans expect?

TA Rep: We are expecting to move up the ranks this year. We definitely want a repeat of Altador Cup VIII, but this time, we want the gold. More importantly, we hope that our restless fans would start showing us a little more compassion as well and hopefully, this year will be the year that we prove ourselves as the real owner of the Altador Cup trophy.

And there you have it, a brief but pretty exclusive interview with Team Altador’s representative. Our team would be reaching out to other teams as well in hopes of getting an exclusive before the games begin. Stay tuned, Neopians! The Altador Cup is just around the corner!