RACIST incidents continue to crop up sporadically in various sporting disciplines across the spectrum right in front of our noses but the mere fact that no one is prepared to tackle or let alone discuss the merits – this burning issue becomes extremely worrisome.
As it stands, racism or rather well-defined segregation continues to plague many predominantly white codes such as cricket, rugby, bowls, archery, shooting, equestrian sports, motor sport, water sport, triathlon, angling, jukskei, hockey and fistball.
Barely a week passes without incidents of racism being reported with sickening regularity, but alas, these issues are being treated with kid gloves by the relevant authorities, so to speak.
Let us call a spade a spade and not a large spoon period! Sports must be used as a platform in the fight against injustice while promoting the awareness of cultural integration. There should be a collective desire to address the issue of transformation in sports, widely interpreted by many, and rightly so, as amounting to grave racism.
Without beating about the bush, yours truly is disheartened by the silence demonstrated by some of our leading athletes past and present including iconic sprinter Frankie Fredericks and many others, whom I would like to encourage to find the courage and aggressively join the fight against blatant racism in domestic sport.
More recently, the Williams sisters Serena and Venus were subjected to racial taunts and sarcastically referred to as the Williams brothers from the racist tongue of a high-profile sports official.
Please pardon me for my ignorance but I suspect this slur had something to do with the siblings’ muscular physique – notwithstanding the fact that the now retired tennis ace, one Martina Navratilova’s huge frame also bore a resemblance to that of the untouchable African-American deadly Williams siblings.
Lately, accusations of racism in the predominantly white sporting disciplines have been reported with sickening regularity while subsequent remarks by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU) paint a bleak future since they smack of arrogance and nepotism, to say the least.
This is a crystal clear indication that after 25 years of Independence, those who call the shots at Lichtenstein Strasse have dismally failed to embrace the concept of unification as can be attested by statistics.
Truth be told, the fact that rugby is played under one umbrella has obliged some conservatives to accept unity since that’s the reality but have nevertheless not been able to put changes in motion.
Suffice to conclude that darkish hide players within the NRU structures are obliged by circumstances beyond their control to live with the stigma that their presence in the squad is a token of reconciliation (unwritten quota system). Black athletes should be picked for national teams merely on merit and this is where those who dominate the running of rugby should come in and flex their muscles.
I bet my last penny that someone like Frankie Fredericks has never been subjected to racial prejudice during his flourishing athletic career but being the true gentleman he is – the brother will obviously let bygones be bygones while others would rather keep their mouths shut just to protect their business interests.
On the flip side of the same coin, “larneys” should not be shit-scared to travel to Rehoboth for what is meant to be an enjoyable ride of competitive rugby – only to have their ears stuffed with phrases their foul-mouthed opponents’ mothers probably never taught them to utter freely in public, tearing apart the poor pale hide visitors’ old ladies’ sacred body parts, some of them long gone the way of all flesh.
The buck stops with the seemingly toothless National Sports Commission (NSC) FINISH and KLAAR!
Fighting the evils of racism in sports should not be the sole province of the media (albeit very few) – it should be the collective responsibility of all stakeholders, notably the regulatory bodies NSC and the portfolio ministry.
Yours truly finds it extremely disappointing that there is indeed a reluctance to acknowledge the potential of black athletes. Is it perhaps not time now to put aside individual agendas and more importantly, prejudice?
Finally, with cap in hand, yours truly would like to request the NRU hierarchy – notably the men in blue suits holed up in Lichtenstein Strasse – to please be so kind and reveal without further delay fair and square the findings of damning allegations of misconduct pointed in the direction of prominent members of the travelling entourage of the ill-fated European safari. You owe it to the rugby-loving public. I rest my case.