26 Oct 2010

Miners visit presidential palace

10:21 am on 26 October 2010

The 33 miners rescued after 69 days trapped underground in Chile have been feted by President Sebastian Pinera during a palace reception in Santiago.

Each miner was given a medal to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Chile's independence from Spain, which was celebrated while they were trapped.

They also played a football match against their rescuers and government officials. The government team won 3-2.

After the match, President Pinera said he and the miners' captain had made a bet.

"The winners will return to the presidential palace, and the losers will go back down the mine! That was the deal I made with Franklin Lobos. Then we'll rescue them again," he joked.

The BBC reports the total number of men on the field, including the referee, was 33, mirroring the number of men who were trapped in a rockfall on 5 August.