Xenophobia in Sport
After an unprecedented rise in racist acts both in the United States and around the world in 2018, there is good news for 2019. According to a study by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida , documented acts of racism in sports in the United States dropped dramatically from 52 incidents in 2018 to just 25 in 2019 . Internationally, however, there were 131 incidents in 2019, down from 137 in 2018.
In the fight against near-sports racism, it is important to note the concerted actions of both social media and online resources, such as Facebook and Google, and the determined actions of U.S. sports association leadership. For example, in October 2019, the leadership of USA Hockey, represented by its president, Jim Smith, issued a directive that changes the punishment for any racial or derogatory insults. The championship games now impose a five-minute removal from the field for such an offense.
