The Black Man’s Burden in Competitive Sport
It’s a terribly unfair burden to carry every time you go out to play. That is a burden every non-white athlete, and particularly, every black athlete carries when he or she sets foot on a not-so-level playing to represent the only country they have known as their own. They have conditional support amongst some. If they fail, they are designated to a certain racial ‘otherness’.
It’s been more than 50 years since the power salute and yet very little has actually changed!
U.S. athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their gloved hands skyward in protest against racial discrimination during the medal ceremony at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico.
The two Americans won the gold and bronze medals in the 400m race. Australian Peter Norman, the silver medalist supported them too by wearing an anti-discrimination badge. All three faced backlash back home. Norman paid the ultimate price as Australia never picked him again.
Over half a century later, competitive sport is still tainted with racist bigotry.
Rashford, Sancho, and Saka, the three English lions of colour have faced a hounding and condemnable backlash of racial abuse on social media. One can argue these haters are frustrated retards with nothing better to do. But the scale of the abuse was eye-opening. These bigots lurk not on the fringes of society but at all levels and with varying degrees of influence. It takes that much to make the ripples it did across the length and breadth of society.
Saka told reporters he knew immediately after missing the penalty that he will be targeted by some fans.
Rashford and Sancho have faced very abhorrent racist attacks on social media just like Saka.
That’s a terribly unfair burden to carry every time you go out to play. That is a burden every non-white athlete, and particularly, every black athlete carries when he or she sets foot on a not-so-level playing to represent the only country they have known as their own. They have conditional support amongst some. If they fail, they are designated to a certain racial ‘otherness’.
On a purely human level, the three English Lions, Rashford, Sancho & Saka are exemplary beings. Fit to emulate for any youngster aspiring to be a footballer that makes a difference beyond the playing field. Rashford who is only 23 years old, raised £20 million towards food poverty during the COVID19 pandemic. He did it as a selfless act. He has also started book clubs for troubled youth and has been a beacon of hope for millions in the UK and beyond.
Saka is just a super-smart teenager. Has been a straight A/A* student all his life. Players and Referees will vouch for his sporting and humble demeanor. He was incredibly brave to put his hand up for his coach when he asked him to take that crucial penalty. One that was most significant for England since 1966. These are moments when the giants of the game shudder to come forward, but he did. He deserves admiration, not vile racial abuse!
Sancho, who is only 21, has given back to the community he grew up in. He has helped conceive the idea, designed and helped build a great football pitch for young footballers in London.
Criticism is fair on technical grounds. Racial bigotry and hate speech are not. It does not belong in competitive sport governed by massive bureaucratic bodies like the English FA or FIFA. It does not belong in any sphere for civilized human existence for that matter.
Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Chris Waddle have all missed penalties in crucial knock-out games for England in the past. Wayne Rooney and the iconic David Beckham have both lost tempers and have been sent off to England’s subsequent demise and loss on the football pitch.
The master strategist and invincible Gareth Southgate too had his penalty saved by the keeper in 1996 against Germany. England was knocked out. The team bowed out gracefully at the Semi-Final stage in the 1996 Euro Cup.
These gentlemen were all white and whilst they faced the usual scathing criticism of the notorious British tabloids, they were never traitors who needed to ‘go back to where they came from!’
It’s not just rogue English fans, Ghanaian origin Mario Balotelli of Italy and the German Muslim Mesut Ozil have faced racially motivated backlash. In fact, Mario reckons it is much worse in Italy!
But there are plenty of positives for England. Public support on social media has been emphatic. The Prime Minister, head of the Labour party, all leading footballers, and other media influencers have supported the three lads, the coach and the team. Fans have decorated a brilliant mural tribute to Rashford in Manchester. Lest we forget, a proud black Englishman, Raheem Sterling, took England to its greatest ever footballing glory of a Euro final since the 1966 World Cup win.
Southgate can hold his head high. He came very close to the greatest honour in football after the coveted world cup.
Few would have thought this team could get as close as the Semis and they all but won.
Southgate and his diverse band of talented players have made the definition of what it means to be ‘English’ and ‘British’ far more inclusive than it has ever been.
Football is the ultimate winner here. The few disturbed souls on social media blaming players of colour in the team have been rightly rejected by the public at large.
Southgate is a brilliant coach and mentor. He deserves appreciation for that. I hope the Queen bestows Knighthood on him. He has earned it.
Despite the heartwarming support. The black man’s sporting burden when playing for white majority countries will not end here. That is the burden every black and coloured athlete carries when he dons the kit of a white majority country. FIFA and the Olympic sporting monstrosities out there need to weigh in. They need to formulate a more concrete policy. Pressurize Governments to press harsher and more exemplary penalties against racist bigots amongst fans. Name and shame them if you must. Make them register as offenders do in their neighborhoods. Enough is enough. It’s 2021 and this just has to stop.
No one should be carrying that fear as Saka did.
End the ‘Black Man’s Burden’ in competitive sport.
Make it a level playing field for all.