Sporting groups commit to anti-racism charter

Eleven Irish sporting organisations have signed a new Charter Against Racism in Sport in an effort to ensure discrimination is not tolerated in Irish sporting activities.

The charter, an initiative of the KNOW RACISM programme and supported by major sporting groups including the FAI, the GAA and the IRFU, commits to ensure sport is free from discrimination, harassment or prejudice on the grounds of colour, ethnic or national origins, religious belief and membership of the Traveller community.

The main points of the charter are pledges to challenge racism in all its forms: remove it from sport; to welcome participants from all nationalities and ethnic backgrounds and to protect all involved in sport from discrimination.

It was signed today by the sporting groups and the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue.

Speaking at the launch, the chairman of KNOW RACISM, Mr Joe McDonagh, said that while incidents of racism are rare in Irish sport, the charter will ensure complacency does not set it.

"Sport has great potential for bringing people from all backgrounds together and we are fortunate in Ireland in that most of our sporting events take place in a friendly atmosphere," he said.

Mr John Treacy, chief executive of the Irish Sports Council, noted that significant changes in Irish society means that multiculturalism is now part of sport here, bringing with it new responsibilities and challenges

"It would be wrong to allow fear of strangers and intolerance to spoil this traditional spirit and change our attitudes toward ethnic minorities who work and play among us," he said.

The organisations which are signing up to the charter are: Athletics Association of Ireland, the Community Games, Cumann Camógaíochta na nGael, the Football Association of Ireland, the Gaelic Athletic Association, Irish Basketball, the Irish Rugby Football Union, the Irish Sports Council, the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, the Federation of Irish Sports and Sport Against Racism in Ireland.