Racism in Sport
Reports throughout the week, Monday 16th June – Friday 20th June
‘Playing Against Prejudice’ special Saturday 21st June at 2030 BST / 2130 CET
CNN International turns its attention to the global issue of ‘Racism In Sport’ for a week-long series of programmes examining how some sports players from all colours and creeds are having to face hostility and violent behaviour. The series of reports and interviews, running throughout the week, concludes with a half-hour special, ‘Playing Against Prejudice’.
Football is still prone to spectators’ racist taunting and harassment. Paul Canoville was the very first black player at Chelsea Football Club in the UK more than 20 years ago. He was subjected to serious and sustained racial abuse throughout his career which scarred him for life. He tells CNN’s Don Riddell: "It was an experience that I'll never forget and nobody else would let me forget. It was unbelievable...words that were said, you can't forget them, I can't forget them. I don't think anybody who has been racially abused would forget what it's like."
While things have moved on since Canoville’s era - in last month's Champions League final, Chelsea fielded eight black players - racism is still prevalent in certain quarters.
Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o, who currently plays football for F.C. Barcelona is interviewed in ‘Playing Against Prejudice’ and adds: “It's a sad situation in football. In my opinion the problem is getting bigger and the people that should come up with a solution are not doing it…racism in football exists, not only in Spain, but in many countries." Eto’o has faced ongoing issues with monkey chants, bananas being thrown on the pitch.
But this is not an issue unique to football. ‘Racism in Sport’ takes a global perspective, looking into incidents of prejudice in cricket with an in-depth look from India; a look into rugby and race in the rainbow nation (South Africa) and also in the USA, which has perhaps more successfully than any other nation managed to integrate race into sports like baseball, American Football and golf.
However, the problems of racism in sport run far deeper than the colour of people’s skin, as demonstrated by the spate of new attacks being made on religious and ethnic grounds.
While these issues are still far from being stamped out, CNN International asks will sport always be a conduit for individuals to vent their personal and political frustrations? Can it one day become free of hate?
