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What's the story?
In a shameful incident, a foreign footballer was forced to touch the feet of the organiser of a local tournament on the outskirts of Kolkata. The player had seemingly protested against a decision by the referee which was against the organisers’ will. This compelled the local youth leader to take such action, according to reports.
In case you didn't know...
Many players from countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and Ivory Coast and other African countries come to India to ply their trade and also play for the famed clubs in our country. Kolkata grabs the most attraction of the players due to the football culture in the ‘City of Joy.’ But incidents like this will definitely portray a wrong image of the football-loving city.
The heart of the matter
As per reports, the foreigner was playing for the away side at Natunhat (Kolkata Outskirts) where a local tournament was underway. During the match, the footballer protested against a decision of the referee. For this reason, the player was humiliated following the match.
He was summoned to the podium and was forced to touch the feet of the organiser Santu Ganguly in front of everyone present over there. The video of the shameful incident was posted on Facebook and went viral and has been shared more than 1300 times.
What's next?
The All India Football Federation and also the Government of India has strict laws against the incidents of racism against foreign players. The humiliation or harassment of a foreigner in our country should be treated with severe punishment. This is a sheer case of misusing power and treating a man from a different country in a cruel way. It will be seen if any actions are taken against the shameful act.
Author's take
Kolkata is a footballing city and has proved itself a million times in the past, but it has to mend its ways to cling on to the legacy. The inhuman treatment of footballers will not help the city’s reputation; it has to be careful from the next time.
