Say no to racialism in local football

THE EDITOR: Copy of letter sent FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Football is the biggest spectator sport in TT. Unfortunately, it is also the biggest racial sport in the country.

The TT population is approximately 1.4 million and is regarded as the most cosmopolitan in the Caribbean. All ethnic groups are represented – blacks, East Indians, Chinese, Spanish, whites, Syrians, Europeans etc.

The biggest single ethnic group is East Indian. Yet the TTFA’s leagues and the national teams are all comprised of Afro-Trinis. This is total discrimination of all other ethnic groups in the country.

It is my experience that once you have an all-black committee in control of football you will always have discrimination. It’s as if only Afro-Trinis can play football.

Don’t get me wrong, there are great black players but have you heard of Ronaldo, Messi, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah (an Egyptian)? No one can convince me that out of a population of one million people you cannot find one non-Afro who can play football.

In the days of apartheid in South Africa the government passed a law that each football team must have at least four black players. Maybe the TT Government should do the same in reverse. Matter of fact, the same applies to all other sporting disciplines where Afro-Trinis are in control.

The situation has reached the stage where other ethnic groups don’t even try to join the football leagues, as they know that they don’t have a chance.

In the, 60s and 70s we had multi-ethnic clubs like Casuals, Shamrock, Queen’s Park with players like Joey Gonzales, Tyrone de la Bastide, Ken Galt, Tang Chung, Andy Aleong, Ahamed Charles, and a host of other non-black players.

I am requesting that the Government and FIFA investigate this racial philosophy in the interest of local football. Say no to racialism.

STEPHEN MARAJ Sr, Port of Spain