UNITED SIKHS is disheartened to learn that a 15-year-old Sikh soccer player was asked by the referee to remove his turban during a football match on February 4, 2023 in Spain. The young Sikh was playing in a game between Arratia C and the rival Padura de Arrigorriaga. The referee turned towards Gurpreet Singh in the first few minutes of the second half and ordered him to remove his turban. What happened next is a testament to the spirit of gamesmanship and a remarkable gesture of humanity. UNITED SIKHS learned that both the teams showed solidarity with their colleague by leaving the field in protest against the referee’s discriminatory and unfair ruling.
The referee’s action caused a painful and traumatic experience for the young Sikh. “Any conduct or action that targets a Sikh’s articles articles of faith, such as turban is discriminatory,” said Manvinder Singh, UNITED SIKHS, Director of Advocacy. “Turban is an integral part of the Sikh faith. It is worn by approximately 27 million Sikhs around the world. Not only does it symbolize spiritual grace for Sikhs but it is also considered part of their identity and no Sikh is supposed to part with it,” he added.
The referee’s ruling was wrong. A FIFA panel known as the International Football Association Board issued a landmark decision in 2014, allowing turban to be worn during matches. This came in response to the Quebec Soccer Federation’s attempts to discriminate against and ban players who wore turbans.
Despite the FIFA decision, the problem still persists. This latest unfortunate event is a testament to the fact that more education and training on cultural sensitivity and anti-discrimination is needed. The FIFA ruling is a good start in order to make the playing fields free from discrimination and harassment for players of different countries and backgrounds.
UNITED SIKHS would like to take this opportunity to call on the national sports federations and international organizations to prioritize the need for diversity training to ensure that officials at all levels are trained, so that this doesn’t happen again in the world’s most-loved sport. We have also requested Spain’s Soccer Federation to take measures to disciplinary measures against the referee.
We have written to FIFA President Gianni Infantino and other organizations in this regard, and would keep the community abreast with the latest updates
Manvinder Singh
Director of Advocacy
UNITED SIKHS
Recognize The Human Race As One
