Hockey player Fernando Zylberberg can be seen kissing “Argentine soil” in the advert
Hockey player Fernando Zylberberg can be seen kissing “Argentine soil” in the advert (YouTube) YouTube

Argentina has riled tensions about Falklands sovereignty ahead of the London 2012 Olympics by releasing a video of an athlete training on one of the islands, which is referred to as "Argentine soil".

The advertisement - aired in Argentina on the 30th anniversary of British forces sinking the General Belgrano warship - sees Argentina hockey captain Fernando Zylberberg running in the Falklands capital Port Stanley and exercising on its war memorial for British sailors who died in the First World War.

The 90-second advert ends with the slogan: "To compete on English soil, we train on Argentine soil."

Produced by the Argentine presidency, it is titled Olympic Games 2012: Homage to the Fallen and the Veterans of the Malvinas.

The footage was reportedly filmed early in the morning so no islanders would be seen during shooting. Falklands legislator Ian Hansen claims the advert was also shot without official permission.

The ad has encountered some criticism since it aired, with Hansen describing it as "cheap and disrespectful propaganda".

"It is deeply sad to see Mr Zylberberg clambering over a war memorial. Sadly, this illustrates the disrespect the Argentine authorities have for our home and our people," Hansen said.

"At no stage does the video feature any Falkland Islanders - a clear reflection of Argentina's policy, which is to pretend that the people of the Falkland Islands do not exist."

The advert contradicts the Argentine government's claim that it would not seek political gain during the upcoming Olympic games.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's conflict with Britain regarding ownership of the islands has intensified recently as it is the 30th anniversary of the Falkland's war, which claimed more than 900 British and Argentinian lives.

Foreign Secretary William Hague dismissed the advert as a "stunt" by Argentina, saying: "Argentina has had some diplomatic setbacks in the last few weeks. They have failed at the summit of the Americas to get other countries - South and North America - to issue a declaration on the Falkland Islands."

The video can be seen below:

Argentina London