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‘It hurts me like anyone else’: Sunil Chhetri says that racism is due to ignorance
Asked about his thoughts on incidents of racism, Chhetri said, “It hurts me like anyone lese. It is bad. But most of time, it is due to ignorance, it is because of not knowing.
George Floyd’s death triggered violent protests across the USA and became one of the biggest topics of discussion around the world. Several celebrities and sports persons have spoken out against racism and narrated their experiences. Recently, West Indies cricketers Darren Sammy, Dwayne Bravo and Chris Gayle talked about their experiences on the cricket field and it created controversy in the cricketing world.
Now, Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri has commented on the topic. He has said that racism hurts him and finds that it is rooted in ignorance.
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“It hurts me like anyone else. It is bad. But most of time, it is due to ignorance, it is because of not knowing,” Chhetri said.
“If you catch a person who is talking these things (racist remarks) you will find he is ignorant and not knowing the things,” Chhetri said during a Live Chat on Indian football team Facebook page.
“You are looking down somebody on the basis of colour or caste or religion, it does not make any sense. There is no logic or truth in that, it should not be done,” he added.
Several international cricketers like the West Indies duo of former World Cup-winning captain Darren Sammy and star batsman Chris Gayle have come forward and alleged racial abuse after Floyd’s death at the hands of a white police officer.
Sammy, while commenting on the protests, had spoken about being called ‘Kalu’ -- a derogatory word to describe black people -- while playing in the Indian Premier League.
Chhetri said said if more people are made aware and educated about the issue, the incidents of abuse will also go down.
