In Italy, racist comments against world-class volleyball player Paola Egonu have sparked outrage and solidarity with the black athlete.
The 23-year-old said at the weekend after winning the bronze medal at the World Cup that she had been attacked racistly on the Internet and that she no longer wanted to appear for the selection.
Egonu is “the pride of Italian sport,” Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s office tweeted after he called the athlete. Other politicians and personalities also supported Egonu, currently one of the best volleyball attackers in the world.
Comments on social networks
Video footage shows Egonu speaking to her manager on Saturday after winning the World Cup match for third place and saying: “You can’t understand. They ask me why I’m Italian. This is my last game for the national team. I’m tired.” She was referring to comments posted on social media after the semi-final defeat by Brazil, as head of the association Giuseppe Manfredi said: “It’s disgusting that such idiots exist.”
Egonu was born in the northern Italian province of Padua to two Nigerian immigrants and has been an Italian citizen since 2014. For years she has been one of the best attackers in volleyball. At the Tokyo Summer Olympics, she was one of the athletes who carried the IOC flag into the stadium.