Indian hockey captain denounces racist abuse

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Issued on: 08/07/2021 – 11:52

New Delhi (AFP)

Indian hockey captain Rani Rampal on Saturday criticized “shameful” racist abuse against the family of a team member which she said was hurting the country’s quest to bolster its sporting image.

New Delhi saw a hockey revival at the Tokyo Games, with the men taking third place – their first medal in 41 years in a sport where they won a record eight gold medals – while the women were beaten by accuracy by Great Britain in their bronze medal. playoffs.

The best women’s Olympic performance of all time was marred by abuse against the family of Vandana Katariya, a low-caste Dalit community who faced generations of discrimination.

Young people mocked the family at their state house in Uttarakhand, saying the Dalits on the team were to blame for the defeat. The family said threats were also made.

“It’s such a bad thing,” Rampal told reporters.

“We put our lives and souls into it, struggle and sacrifice so much to represent our country and when we see what happens – what happened to Vandana’s family – I just want to tell people please stop this religious division and this casteism. “

She added: “We have to rise above this. We come from different religions – Hindu, Muslim, Sikh – and come from all parts of India – north, south and east – but here we are working for it. ‘India.”

Rampal, 26, whose own father pulled a cart to feed his family, added: “We are sweating for the Indian flag and it is such a shameful thing when we see people behaving like that.”

She said the team felt “so much love from people” despite not winning a first medal, but added that there were lessons to be learned to end this. such abuses “if we want to make our country a sporting nation”.

“This should never happen to an athlete or a normal person.”

India’s 200 million Dalits, once known as “untouchables”, are regularly the targets of discrimination and often fatal abuse.

Katariya, who scored an Indian’s first Olympic treble in a 4-3 league win over South Africa, also said the abuse had tarnished athletic performance.

AFP 2021

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