Racism has no place in society or sport

In the past racism in sport has seemed to be more acceptable than racist behaviour in the general community. Paul Oliver says it can no longer be dismissed as just 'good natured sledging'.

Mahatma Gandhi once said “It has always been a mystery to me how men can feel themselves honoured by the humiliation of their fellow beings”.

When I think of this quote, I ponder how people who make racist, sexist or homophobic remarks can feel good about the fact that they have hurt and demeaned someone.

I am similarly dismayed at how rational, tolerant people can somehow change into fanatical supporters at their weekend sporting events and spray opposition players with vile racist abuse and then pass this off as mere innocent sledging to put the other team off their game.

I’m not alone. Former Hawthorn AFL champion Dermott Brereton said he could never understand why supporters felt they had the right to lean over the fence at a game and shout obscenities at players. “Make those comments away from the playing field and you would get a physical and verbal clip around the head for your rudeness,” he said.

The actions of players who racially vilify other players and then hide behind weak, lame excuses such as ‘it happened in the heat of the moment’ or ‘what happens on the field stays on the field’ are just as hard to comprehend.

Journalist, author and former international rugby union player Peter FitzSimons put it succinctly in an article several years ago. He said: “The point of nailing those who utter such sledges is not just to ensure that Aboriginal players are protected from racist nastiness – it is to make sure that all Australians understand they are in a culture where this is no longer acceptable”.

So what are we doing to address racism in sport and challenge these behaviours?

We currently have federal, state and territory laws protecting people against race discrimination in all areas of life (including sport) and we’re developing a new national anti-racism strategy, which sport is sure to play an integral part of.

Most sporting organisations, from the elite to grassroots level, now have a range of member protection polices and codes in place to address concerns and complaints of discrimination, harassment and vilification. They are also acutely aware of the importance of encouraging diversity, providing a welcoming culture and doing everything they can to stamp out racism. Otherwise new and existing participants will talk with their feet and find another sport.

There are also national programs such as Play by the Rules (www.playbytherules.net.au), which provides online information, resources, tools, training courses and campaigns to help make sport safe, fair and inclusive. The Australian Sports Commission, state/territory sport and recreation departments, along with state/territory equal opportunity agencies and the NSW Commission for Children and Young People help to promote Play by the Rules through their networks, along with their own anti-discrimination and inclusion programs.

The collective impact of these organisations is helping to increase the knowledge and skills of individuals and organisations in preventing and dealing with racism and discrimination issues in sport.

There’s no doubt we’ve come a long way in regards to how we perceive and deal with racism in sport in Australia. Most people not only understand that this type of behaviour is socially unacceptable and harmful, but we’re also realizing that it is deeply painful and damaging for those at the receiving end of the abuse.

I think the key is to constantly educate on what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour in the sporting arena, and to call racism for what it is whenever it occurs so that positive cultures are engrained and reinforced in sport.

Gandhi would have expected nothing less – neither should we.

Paul Oliver has more than 20 years experience in the sport and human rights area, including as a sports journalist/editor, media advisor and Communications Director at the Australian Human Rights Commission. In 2006, Paul wrote the report ‘What’s the Score? A Survey of Cultural Diversity and Racism in Australian Sport’. Paul is currently the National Manager of Play by the Rules and is also undertaking PhD research through Curtin University into the power of sport to break down cultural barriers and build social bridges.

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