HOW A RACIST ATHLETE FELL FOUL OF 2012 OLYMPICS SPIRIT

On 25th of July 2012, The Associated Press/reuters told us that “Greece has removed triple jumper Voula Papachristou from the country’s team at The London Olympic’s over her comments on Twitter mocking African immigrants and expressing support for a far-right party”. She allegedly tweeted, “With so many Africans in Greece…the West Nile mosquitoes will at least eat homemade food!!!”. She was thereafter placed “outside the Olympic team for statements contrary to the values and ideas of the Olympic movement ”.Occasional racist outburst or expression on or outside of the pitch by athletes with particular mind-sets is nothing new. What emerges rather is sadly how endemic racism still remains beneath the surface in society, with sports being used as another forum by those so inclined to do so. And the issue becomes thus what length both individually and collectively, as people and citizens of this earth, we are prepared to go to combat this racist mentality which is really not one-sided…not just from one race to another but universal, as has been argued by the author of this article in his new novel ‘Purple Horizon’. What is rather surprising at the same time, is that despite public condemnations and sometimes symbolic punitive measures against racist offenders given that in most emancipated countries, it is also against the law, new ones like Voula continue to emerge.Racist Voula has not broken the law by supporting a far-right party as these parties are provided for by the law, but statistically, what they have in common in Europe and elsewhere is that they are often against immigrants or foreigners in their mist. Hence Racist Voula is poignantly, a suitable mouthpiece. She has thus joined the ranks of other sporting racists like Luis Suarez, the Uruguayan Footballer who demonstrated racism against Patrice Evra, the French international footballer during a game and was punished for it.However, Voula has made a lengthy apology, and this should be accepted, although some would say that it brings to mind, one of the most famous statements of forgiveness of all times, which when applied to this case could read… “God please forgive both her and her cohorts for they know not what pain they have wrought on their victims”. As ignorance appears thus to be the reason behind the act in this whole scenario, the possible solution would therefore inevitably be the need to Educate! Educate! and Educate, in a rather very informative and reconciliatory manner.Voula and every other racist like her, regardless of the skin-colour as a condition for being allowed back into their previous role/s in society should be made to undergo a course in anti-racism. Essentially, they need to understand that the human race is one big human family which further places that challenge on all of us to be humane to each other. They should also be made to understand that migration is like the very vein that runs through the human anatomy, and has been since man was made. It is the universal human need that has both directly and indirectly continued to feed it.