African footballer allegedly racially abused and beaten by mob in India - Video
Ivory Coast's Hassane Junior was attacked by the mob during a football match
An Ivory Coast footballer has alleged that he was subjected to racial slurs and a mob attack at a football ground in the Malappuram district of the southern Indian state of Kerala.
The footballer, identified as Dairrassouba Hassane Junior, alleged in the police complaint that the incident took place on March 10 in Areekode, a village in the district where he had arrived to play in a Sevens Football tournament.
Sevens Football is a renowned sporting event in the state where matches are held in packed local stadiums, usually between November and May. Junior was representing Jawahar Mavoor club and the tournament was organised by a local association called Town Team Chemrakkattur.
Junior said the attack started when he went to the corner flag to take the kick while his team was leading in the match.
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“Our team got a corner kick when my team was leading by a goal. I went near the corner flag for taking the kick, and the natives and the audience called me a monkey. One among the audience threw a stone at me and it hit my head," said Junior in the complaint.
"When I turned back, two more stones were hurled at me and they started screaming at me. Those people who threw stones at me were saying f**k African monkey, black cat.”
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media and shows Junor being assaulted by the mob. According to reports, if it wasn't for the intervention of a few players who took Junior to safety, the consequences could have been severe.
"They hit me brutally. I escaped after supporters of my team intervened and stopped them,’’ said Junior in the complaint.
Notably, such incidents of violence are extremely common in the amateur football landscape of Kerala. Last year, a football tournament in the state's Kozhikode district turned ugly after a massive brawl erupted between players of the two teams over a foul.
(With inputs from agencies)