KEY WORD TRANSFORMATION

I worked on website that have similar exercises to the FCE, this time I made an exercise to transform a sentence to the same idea with a different word, they gave me a key word that I have to use.

Here is an Example:
John said he was sorry he had lost the tickets. (APOLOGISED)
John apologised for losing the tickets.

In a sentence I dont have idea of the answer beacause I didnt know the meaning of the key word this key word was: DESPITE, and I investigate what was the meaning and then I understood the idea of the sentence.

de·spite  (d-spt)

prep.

In spite of; notwithstanding: won the game despite overwhelming odds.

n.

1. Contemptuous defiance or disregard.

2. Spite; malice: "He died soon after . . . of pure despite and vexation" (Sir Walter Scott).