Lifestyle writer, founder of Bad Mother Media and regular columnist for The Age/Sydney Morning Herald Kate Halfpenny has pretty much just penned a racist opinion piece for the Sydney Morning Herald, saying that pro tennis player Nick Kyrgios needs his passport revoked and kicked out of Australia. This is the language she uses – it is literally the title of the piece and the first line:
It’s time to kick Nick Kyrgios off the island
“Asking for a friend: is there a way to revoke Nick Kyrgios’ Australian passport and kick him off the island, so we can stop being linked to this grub?”
I won’t quote the rest of it, but in a nutshell its just her rambling on about his behaviour on the court and she compares him to the late Shane Warne talking about how she misses Warnie and Kyrgios needs to own his mistakes or whatever. The weirdest part is, Yes Kyrgios does get angry and heckle at spectators, but as he has said time and time its because he is most defending himself from casual racist remarks etc.
Just at a recent ATP Tour match in Germany ( just happened prior to Wimbledon), he was penalised by the referee for yelling at a spectator for calling him:
“you little black sheep’ ‘shut up and play“
He heckled and yelled to defend himself. He later received an apology from ATP for how he was treated. So can Halfpenny call out the many racists who have heckled him and others who have a darker skin tone or a person of colour to leave Australia and have their passport revoked instead of picking on a victim of casual racism?
If memory serves right there have been numerous white male athletes who swear, heckle, attack, commit domestic violence and sexual assault and just get a slap on the wrist for it? According to Halfpenny, should they too be kicked out of Australia and have their passports revoked?
As usual its the white privilege talking in the piece. Kyrgios has Greek and Malaysian heritage, and his skin tone is darker, so it makes him an easy target of racial abuse during matches.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know.
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If you would like to read the piece here it is: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/it-s-time-to-kick-nick-kyrgios-off-the-island-20220701-p5ay8t.html