CANBERRA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The head of Australia's peak sporting integrity agency has urged sport leaders to harshly punish athletes found guilty of racism.
David Sharp, chief executive of government agency Sport Integrity Australia (SIA), on Sunday said that athletes who are found guilty of racism should face the same lengthy penalties given to fans.
He said that Australia has an opportunity to send a message to the world in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane that racism will not be tolerated on the field or in the stands.
"It is 2024, not 1924, and there must be zero tolerance when it comes to racism in sport," he told the Australian Associated Press (AAP).
"We see strong messages sent to fans and crowds found guilty of racist slurs with lengthy penalties. These same sanctions need to apply to athletes."
His comments come as both the Australian Football League and National Rugby League (NRL) - Australia's two most-attended and most-watched sports leagues - are facing racism scandals.
Three former Indigenous AFL players lodged a class action lawsuit against the league claiming they were racially vilified by fellow players in the 1980s.
In the NRL, Sydney Roosters player Spencer Leniu will on Monday face the league's judiciary panel to face punishment after pleading guilty to making a racist remark towards an opposition player in their opening game of the season.
Sharpe said there were no excuses for any comments that could be interpreted as racist in nature in sport, urging leaders to use the opportunity to eradicate racism in sport while the world is watching ahead of the Olympics. ■
