BY CONOR BRESLIN
The GAA is said to be one of the most accepting and welcoming sports organisations with a zero tolerance on racism. However, for one black 24-year old Donegal man, the GAA’s handling of the racial abuse he has received was the main reason why he walked away from the organisation.
Rahman Balogun was born in Italy to Nigerian parents. Due to the lack of citizenship Rahman and his family where sent as asylum seekers to Ireland. They settled in Dublin for a number of years before relocating to County Donegal when Rahman was 10.
“Due to circumstances with my family I was fostered in Donegal while my parents were sent back to Nigeria. I was born in Italy, but I didn’t have citizenship in either Italy or Ireland, so I was an asylum seeker in two European countries.”
Rahman described the area and people he grew up with as far more accepting and understanding than his life in Dublin. Though, when it came to playing sport, people’s attitudes quickly changed, and Rahman remembers the horrific verbal abuse he received from opponents growing up.
“Whether it was a basketball court, soccer pitch or GAA pitch, you name it, I was racially abused but when you’re growing up you’ll let it slide to almost fit in and not cause any fuss. It’s only now you realise how wrong it was and how people should have been there to do something or stop it.”
As an adult on two separate occasions Rahman recalls how the GAA failed to handle the racism he encountered. On the first occasion, he took a stance and stood up for himself.
“Two years ago, I was playing a senior league game for my club Four Masters. As the match went on, the game got very heated and a few small fights started but nothing major. Before I knew it, one player grabbed me, threw me to the ground and called me a ‘Black F*****’.
“As I said when you’re growing up, you’ll let that form of abuse slide, but when you’re in your twenties you have a different attitude to how you should be treated. For some strange reason that day I just snapped. I felt like I wanted to beat this guy up which is something I have never felt before. I instead went mad, took off my jersey and just walked off the pitch.
“The overall emotion by people at the time was to go to the media and tell them what happened, but I remember thinking at the time I didn’t want to make a big fuss and just wanted the issue quietly addressed by the club and the GAA. I don’t think too much was done. A few months later a similar incident happened again on the GAA pitch in a league match when a player told me to go back to my own country. Again, I snapped, and this time kicked him on the ground before walking off the field. I’ve worked and lived in this country all my life.
“The difference this time was, because I didn’t make a fuss the first time, everyone presumed I would just take this on the chin. Nothing was done to tackle the issue. It wasn’t even brought up to me after the match. People’s mindsets were to simply not get involved. A lot of people probably just took it as a sly comment, whether it was or not, I felt it’s still racist and still bothers me that nobody off the pitch or in the GAA did something.“
After long consideration, Rahman has since returned to play for his local club but feels now is the best time to address the hardship that he underwent as well as those situations were handled so badly. He is satisfied that now is the time for the GAA to stamp down hard on the issue of racism although it should have been tackled long ago.
“With all that is going on now in the world, this is the only time I feel I will get my story out there. One thing I can say is that if anyone ever asks me, I am from Donegal and proud to be from Donegal, it’s my home, but I also have bad memories about this place.
“I love the fact that GAA players of all different backgrounds are coming out now to talk about race in the GAA. They have a huge platform and presence to make themselves heard. I just hope that they know how bad it is at all levels of the GAA and not just on a county level.”
Rahman said that it was vital that people of all races were supporting the current protests against racism all over the world but it’s also important to look at our own issues at home and not pass the blame onto other countries.
“People like to use the excuse by pointing fingers saying the USA is worse for racism, and yes, it is, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that Ireland is bad too. A lot of people in Ireland don’t get it, and why would they.”
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)
Next up is a meeting with Ulster rivals Monaghan in Clones on Sunday afternoon, throw-in 2pm, with games against...
KILCAR became the first club in the hat for last night's semi-final draw following this routine win over Four...