Monday, January 08, 2007

Discrimination in a simple soccer training game

I did not really understand why nobody passed on the ball to me during my first local soccer practise game in Sweden . I am an ardent lover of soccer and everything about it and has been playing this game from the time I was a kid. I really wanted to join a team and to connect with other soccer lovers here in my home town Västerås.

I had to go through a process like an interview before i was even called for practice. I did not really understand why they had to interview me. I know if somebody says he is good, give him the chance to prove himself. I do not know how to describe how good I am to control the ball or run with the ball. Soccer is just a game and let me prove myself i told him.

Finally the big day came and the weather was damn cold. I was almost freezing when i got to the big beautiful football pitch. I was told i will get equipment from them but to my greatest dismay i got just shoes and I had to play with the clothes i had on me. I was not the only African but i was the most African in my ways.

I did not understand any word in Swedish and the trainer did not even look at me but i simply followed what the others were doing. After a couple of physical exercises it was time to play a little game . I was in one group of only Swedish guys and they never passed the ball onto me, no matter the position i was standing or even if i was free in front of the goal. They shouted at me when i had the ball and when i missed it they became really angry. I also stopped passing the ball to them and the trainer warned me. When i tackled somebody i was bullied at by that stupid trainer. I did not know what to do. Before the end of the game and after running after the ball and being shouted at, i bowed out of the game. I moved toward our trainer and tanked him for encouraging bulling and discrimination towards me. He wanted to defend himself but i just left.

With my wet, soaked and sweaty clothes i took my old bicycle and started riding about 2km back home. I fell abused, bullied, disappointed and my body was freezing because of my wet clothes on that day. I asked myself if this is really a developed society? How can somebody be discriminated in a simple training session of soccer? Is this really how Sweden is?What a beautiful game!!!

I think a developed society should also have developed morals regarding sociability and acquaintance of human behavior and not only industrial development. I also think that those who discriminate against others because of their sex, age, colour, race etc are all cowards, frustrated, low self-esteem and miss the joy of living and knowing other people.

4 comments:

COLORADO BOB said...

Ngalaqvist ..... A bad story, but you've told it well. Keep writing I'm reading.

COLORADO BOB said...

Ngalaqvist .....
Still coming by.

Anonymous said...

No way man, that's harsh. I always worry that it's the individual too ready to think that he is being discriminated against. Maybe every new person gets a hard time, you never know. But then maybe you're right and there was some kind of racism going on before your eyes. Hard to tell without doing personality tests on every player!

Don't let it get you down, mate, good luck finding a team who looks for skill and not skin!

Anonymous said...

nice comming across ur blog,
am afican student curently studyin bachalor degree in computer scince in malyasia,i had alot about swedeb already,though i do want come there for my masters,same vain i plan and really want to get into profesional football as a carer in swden,what difficulties am gona face in getin this done,fist i have to come with sudent visa and upon finishing my masters i would like to go into footballin wchich had been my dream,so please do u think ist a good and achievable dream since am good at the game,and wanted to play it as my carer,,
else,what countries in europ u sugest that will be of beter for me,and also what steps to take inother to avoid been decived by agents or what eva,,
i will realy appericaite ur responds,,my email is
mac4_2007@yahoo.com