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Professional athletes and discrimination
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A number of recent news stories emphasise the role high profile sports figures play in promoting equality and highlighting discrimination.

Recently, animated discussions appeared in the media relating to discrimination issues after several athletes became the subject of headlines.

Richard Sherman, an American Football player, was recently critical of the audience and media after being called a thug repeatedly through social media channels. He argued that white NFL players rarely face similar criticism even if their behaviour is comparable.

Eugenie Bouchard a young tennis player, became the first Canadian to make it to the semi-finals of the Australian Open. Her historic victory, however, was overlooked in a post-match interview in favour of a question about her dating preferences. Many have argued this is an example of an attitude that often guides coverage of women in sport.

This month, Thomas Hitzlsperger became the first English Premiership player to ‘come out’, prompting conversations ranging from praise of the player for his courage to criticism of the atmosphere that has prevented this from happening before.

The above stories took place in a variety of different sports and contexts but some general conclusions can be made.

Sport and politics do mix

These athletes are not deliberately making political statements but their stories have become political in some way. On numerous occasions throughout history, we have seen that – contrary to the cliché – sport and politics do mix. This ranges from discussions about the host nations of major sporting events to incidents highlighting stereotypes and discrimination that persist in society about race, gender or homosexuality.

Professional sport can be an example to society but sometimes appears to hold it back
Thomas Hitzlsperger is inspiring for his courage and has received a lot of praise from the football community and the media. However, the fact he was the first in the world’s most watched football league and only felt comfortable to do so in his final year before retirement reflects the intimidating atmosphere that continues within some public spheres.

Social media has a big impact
Richard Sherman received a lot of abuse via Twitter while the social media conversation about Eugenie Bouchard ranged from strong criticism of the interview to questions about her choice in men. Many high profile figures in the world of sport chose to communicate positive reactions about Thomas Hitzelberger’s announcement online. It is now common for “mainstream” media to directly quote from social media.

The sport and development community has a role to play
Role models are found in both professional sport and in grassroots or recreational sport. The number of stories of sport being used to create positive change around the world far outnumber the negative stories that often make the headlines. Through advocacy and an increased profile, those using sport to promote inclusion, equality and other social goals can influence the conversation and demonstrate that, beyond the headlines, sport’s impact is primarily positive.

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