Football and race

Racism in football and other fields is a persistent and not-so-new problem. So, what needs to be done to change this situation?

England player Bukayso Saka was haunted for years by the pressure following his missed penalty in the last European Championship final. (Source: Reuters)

Human beings have always yearned for societies built on inclusion and mutual respect. We all desire and deserve to live and be treated equally and harmoniously. Justice, religion, culture, and institutions all aim for the happiness of the individual, where every member of society can maximize their true potential.

The moments captured of England player Bukayo Saka brilliantly scoring a penalty against Switzerland in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 will surely remain etched in the memories of many football fans.

After the referee's whistle blew, ending the match, following the penalty shootout between England and Switzerland, the media was flooded with praise and commentary acknowledging the talents of players like Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney, Trent Alexander Arnold, and Jude Bellingham.

However, the question remains: why is the support from a segment of the media and many people so "conditional"? Why do many people only cheer for Black and African-American players when they succeed, but turn their backs on them when they unfortunately miss a game?

In a recent course on intercultural communication, our instructor, an Australian lecturer, recounted a story that left all the students speechless. In 1983, before making his debut for the England national team, Black player Cyrille Regis was shot at a lamppost. In 1988, John Barnes, Liverpool's first Black player, was hit with bananas. In 2007, Avram Grant, the first Jewish manager in the Premier League with Chelsea, faced a barrage of anti-Semitic criticism from both the media and fans.

Football fans will surely remember that four years ago, in the Euro 2020 final, three black English players missed penalties in the shootout against Italy. The crucial penalty was missed by Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, who, along with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, received thousands of hateful messages online.

This animosity extends beyond the stands and spreads with severity due to the anonymity of social media. This deliberate hatred continues to impact leagues and deeply harm players of color. Therefore, racism in football and other fields is a persistent and not-so-new disease.

There may be many other cases involving people of color that we haven't heard of or don't want to talk about.

In my opinion, to improve the situation, those with discriminatory mindsets need to be educated.

As a football fan and an ordinary citizen, I believe that the vast majority of the public would like to see anti-racism education programs aimed at raising awareness and combating prejudice and discrimination.

Workshops, community outreach initiatives, and anti-racism campaigns can foster tolerance, understanding, and combat prejudice. This, if done correctly, will help football fans reconsider their inappropriate behavior.

Looking at it more broadly, ethnic awareness courses aimed at combating oppression and racism will help people realize that racist and abusive language should not be present in any sporting event. This, at the same time, reminds each of us of the importance of respecting all people, taking proactive measures, and fostering a culture of diversity, equality, inclusiveness, and respect.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/bong-da-va-sac-toc-279234.html