Brazil Olympians To Take Anti-Racism Training

For the first time ever, Brazilians representing their country at the Olympics will go through an anti-racism training, in a bid to fix a deep-rooted issue that has sometimes stained the world of sport.

The Brazilian Olympic Committee launched the 30-hour online course this week, which will be important for all 650 athletes, coaches, doctors, nutritionists, officials and other members of the country’s delegation to the Tokyo Games in July and August.

“The goal of the course is to provide information, knowledge and also open a broad debate on racism in sport,” said Rogerio Sampaio, the committee’s secretary-general and a gold medalist in judo at the 1992 Games.

“Racism is structural… but we believe the sporting world can no longer tolerate it,” he said.

About 55 percent of the population identifies as black or mixed-race in Brazil.

The course will give a general overview of the history of racial inequality in Brazil, address what racism in sport looks like and teach members of the Olympic delegation what they can do if they witness or are victims of it.

Sampaio says Brazil’s is the first Olympic committee in the world to launch such an initiative.

He calls it a “first step” toward dealing with the problem.

“We know it’s not enough, but it’s important,” he said.