, ▁numerous ▁attempts ▁had ▁been ▁made ▁to ▁recover ▁the ▁statue , ▁often ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁variety ▁TV ▁show . ▁▁ 1 8 - year ▁losing ▁stre ak ▁After ▁their ▁success ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁series , ▁the ▁Hans hin ▁Tig ers ▁began ▁an ▁ 1 8 - year ▁losing ▁stre ak ▁placing ▁last ▁or ▁next - to - last ▁in ▁the ▁league . ▁Br ief ▁r al lies ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁brought ▁hope ▁to ▁fans , ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁soon ▁followed ▁with ▁defeat . ▁ ▁During ▁this ▁time ▁attempts ▁were ▁made ▁to ▁recover ▁the ▁statue , ▁including ▁sending ▁divers ▁down ▁and ▁d red ging ▁the ▁river , ▁but ▁they ▁all ▁failed . ▁F ans ▁apolog ized ▁to ▁the ▁store ▁manager , ▁but ▁the ▁statue ▁remained ▁in ▁the ▁canal ▁and ▁the ▁Tig ers ▁" c urs ed ". ▁▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁World ▁Cup ▁Although ▁the ▁le ap ▁into ▁D ō ton bor i ▁canal ▁and ▁the ▁Cur se ▁of ▁the ▁Colonel ▁is ▁usually ▁associated ▁only ▁with ▁a ▁Hans hin ▁Tig ers ▁victory , ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁when ▁Japan ▁beat ▁Tun is ia ▁in ▁the ▁World ▁Cup , ▁some ▁ 5 0 0 ▁fans ▁jump ed ▁into ▁the ▁canal ▁as ▁a ▁celebr ation , ▁in ▁spite ▁of ▁heavy ▁police ▁security . ▁ ▁In ▁addition , ▁a ▁Colonel ▁Sand ers ▁statue ▁was ▁taken ▁from ▁the ▁store front ▁of ▁a ▁K FC ▁in ▁nearby ▁K ō be ,