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Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
England players refuse to take knee and stand up in message about racist abuse
England's player stuck to their words and refused to take the knee ahead of their Women's European Championship semi-final against Italy. The squad had announced they would take the step after team-mate Jess Carter opened up on the racial abuse she has received during the tournament, with Lionesses midfielder Georgia Stanway reinforcing the decision the day before the game. 'It's just to change it up," Stanway said. "We felt like the knee was just a little bit repetitive, we felt like it's come to a point where the knee isn't doing what we wanted it to do, so now our decision is to stand and hopefully that will bring up more conversation, more change and hopefully get the topic [spoken about].' Piara Powar, head of football's international anti-discrimination body, Fare, questioned the move. "Powerful actions are needed right now, to deal with the issues that are being played out as we speak," Powar said, though he defended the Lioness' right to make the decision they have. When asked about Powar's comments, Stanway stressed that it waa a collective decision from the squad to not take the knee. "We've decided not to take the knee because we want more action to be made," she said. "We want to create more of a talking point and a point to make more change. That starts with social media and people having access to be able to do certain things. So our stance and opinion stay the same, and that's what we've decided as a collective. " Over the weekend, fellow Lionesses star Lucy Bronze spoke about how the group came to their decision. "It was driven by the group - obviously certain individuals more than others," the right-back said. "I think it was just the fact that we feel as a collective, is the message as strong as it used to be? Is the message really hitting hard? Because to us it feels like it's not if these things are still happening to our players in the biggest tournaments of their lives. "It's about putting another statement out there to say it's something that still is a problem, it's something that still needs to be put right. More needs to be done in football, more needs to be done in society, what that is right now as an individual, I don't exactly know. "But it's something that us collectively as a team and as a federation we want to work towards, we wanna make changes. This is a small step trying to create another change." Carter was dropped to the bench for the game with Italy, with Sarina Wiegman confirming it was a tactical decision to deal with the threat of their opponents. On Monday, Wiegman was asked about the prospect of pulling Carter out of the firing line for the match in Geneva. "Of course we had conversations," Wiegman said. "Although it is a hard situation, Jess is a very strong person and she wants to move on too. "She also felt - as we did - that we had to address this. You can't just let it go, so we did [not]. And then we know that there's a match going on. We want to perform. We're ready to peform. She's ready to perform and compete, and that says a lot about her and the team."
The Hindu
21-07-2025
- The Hindu
High Court verdict akin to rubbing salt on our wounds: 7/11 train blasts survivor
Gardening contractor Harish Powar lived with the physical and emotional scars of the 7/11 local train bombings while waiting for the closure. However, the acquittal of 12 accused by the Bombay High Court after 19 years has left the Virar resident aghast, prompting him to dub the verdict akin to rubbing salt on the wounds of victims. Mr. Powar, now 44, vividly remembers July 11, 2006, when a bomb blast ripped through the first-class coach of a Virar-bound local train he was travelling in, which left him injured. "The blast scene keeps cropping up in front of my eyes even after almost two decades. I remember bodies lying inside the compartment with blood splattered on its walls. Some people were writhing in pain, while a few others were lying motionless," Powar told PTI. He recalled spotting the head that had flown into the coach due to the explosion's impact. Nineteen years after seven train blasts here killed more than 180 persons, the Bombay High Court on Monday (July 21, 2025) acquitted all 12 accused, saying the prosecution 'utterly failed' to prove the case and it was "hard to believe the accused committed the crime". Dismayed by the verdict, Mr. Powar sarcastically said, "If the accused persons are acquitted, then getting out of our houses for work to feed our family is a we are the culprits". The landscape and gardening contractor had sustained serious injuries to his chest when he was travelling in a first-class compartment of a Virar-bound local train. "After 19 years, nobody would expect such a verdict. If the 12 accused are acquitted, then we should know the real culprits," he said. In a damning indictment of the prosecution's case, the High Court has declared all confessional statements of the accused inadmissible, suggesting "copying'. Stressing that the judiciary is the only hope for the common people, Mr. Powar said such judgements are akin to rubbing salt on the wounds of the victims. "The judgement made common people like me, who travel in packed trains to go to work to sustain our elderly parents and families, look like the main culprits. I don't know who should be blamed for the acquittal of the accused," he lamented. Sank into despondency, Mr. Powar said this judgment has left all the victims upset. The gardener, who worked in South Mumbai, vividly remembers his train ride home from Grant Road station on the fateful day 19 years ago. "I boarded the first-class coach of the 6.05 pm train from Grant Road station to go to Virar. When the train reached Matunga Road station, a strong explosion ripped through the coach. I can't forget the scene even after 19 years. Bodies were lying inside the compartment. Some people were lying injured while others lay motionless. There was blood everywhere". Powar suffered injuries to his chest and was admitted to the hospital for treatment. Recalling his recovery, Powar said he battled physical pains and nightmares for several days. "In the initial four or five days, I couldn't recognise what had happened to me. I couldn't sleep. The bomb blast scene and bodies of victims used to crop up in my dreams," he added. Powar said the psychological trauma lingered on for days. Even after he recovered from injuries, he initially couldn't muster the courage to board a local train- the lifeline of Mumbai. "However, gradually life returned to normal, and it had to, as I have to keep working for my family", he added.
