EuroLeague clubs, players renew call for racial tolerance

On the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21, the clubs and players of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the EuroLeague Players’ Association (ELPA) will once again draw attention to the scourge of racial intolerance by sending messages promoting mutual respect throughout the upcoming week of games.

All 18 EuroLeague teams will wear such messages opposing racial discrimination on playing jerseys, warmup shirts, or both in games from Tuesday through Friday.

This marks the second time this season that the clubs and players will make their voices heard on the important social issues that are moving many millions of people around the world.

Following on their efforts to bring awareness to the United Nations Sustainability Development Goal number 10, which stands for reduced inequalities, Euroleague Basketball and ELPA have developed an ongoing joint campaign to stand against racism and to challenge discrimination of any kind. Their campaign, called Not In Our World, is based on the following pillars, shared by both organizations:

Fighting against racism.
Fighting against discrimination.
Fighting against inequality.
Fighting against intolerance.

As at the start of the new season back in October, EuroLeague players and clubs will again be given the spotlight to make calls to action that help expand public awareness to foster respect and equality.

The on-court activation to spur attention to this vital topic coincides with the release of Table Talk: RACISM #NotInOurWorld, a hard-hitting and thought-provoking documentary that was produced in support of the Not in Our World campaign. The documentary uncovers the prejudices and discrimination faced by basketball players of color as they attempt to build their careers and also considers the wider social implications of this urgent issue.

Several Turkish Airlines EuroLeague players – including Howard Sant-Roos of Panathinaikos OPAP Athens, Shaquielle McKissic of Olympiacos Piraeus and Ilimane Diop of TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz – speak candidly about their experiences in the new documentary.

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has been observed annually on March 21 since 1966 by the proclamation of the United Nations General Assembly, which calls on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.