Blake criticises FIFA’s decision to scrap anti-racism task force
Cardiff, Sep 27 (IANS) World football’s governing body FIFA’s decision to scrap an anti-racism task force has drawn the ire of former Wales striker Nathan Blake who has branded the decision “shameful”.
FIFA’s task force was set up in 2013 to help tackle the issue of racism.
FIFA general secretary Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura said on Monday: “It had a specific mandate, which it has fully fulfilled.”
Blake told BBC on Monday: “It’s almost turning a blind eye. It’s almost justifying it (racism), saying ‘we’ve done that and moved on’ because it’s never going to go away’.”
He added: “To say we’ve got a mandate and completed that mandate is nonsense for me.”
He says the game’s governing officials have never taken the issue seriously enough and want players from groups who have – and continue to – suffer racism to be heavily involved in future decision making.
Blake said: “It’s never taken seriously enough and it’s usually policy and procedures and what have you are set by white people, which never makes sense to me because you would never know what it’s like to feel the way I feel being racially abused.”