Marina, Lisa, and the lesson some people still refuse to learn
There is something deeply wrong with a society when a child wearing the jersey of a national team has to prove that they are Cypriot or Greek enough to deserve it. That’s exactly what Marina Hatzikosta in Cyprus and Lisa Itoya in Greece have been doing these past few days. And they’ve forced us, once again, to take a long, hard look in the mirror.
Marina, just a few days after winning the bronze medal in the discus throw at the U20 World Championships, spoke publicly about the racist comments she received. She has spoken openly about her background and adoption and has stated that she is proud to represent Cyprus. The Cyprus Olympic and Sports Committee (KOEAS) stood by her, emphasizing that racism and all forms of discrimination have no place in sports. Meanwhile, in Greece, Lisa Itoya is starring with the National Girls’ Team at the U16 EuroBasket. And instead of just talking about her basketball, her great games, and her future, she had to respond to people who felt they had the right to question whether she belongs on the Greek national team.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
At age 16. That’s what should outrage us the most. Not just that racism exists. But that a child is expected to deal with it. Let’s put an end to the question of “how Cypriot or Greek are you?”
Who decides who belongs to the Greek nation? The keyboard racist? The guy on the podium? The anonymous social media account? The person who thinks ethnicity is measured by skin color? And who decides who is Cypriot?
Just because someone has a different background from what they consider “correct,” do they have to take a test? Present a family tree? Prove that they love their homeland more than someone born with the “right” skin color?
What nonsense. And above all, what dangerous nonsense. Because homeland isn’t just about DNA. It isn’t about skin color. It isn’t about your last name. It isn’t about where your parents were born. It’s also where you grew up. Where you went to school. Where you made friends. Where you experienced your joys and disappointments. Where you learned to dream. And, for an athlete, it’s also the jersey they wear when they step onto the field to represent millions of people.
The Antetokounmpos have experienced this too. If there’s one family that can explain this obsession better than anyone, it’s the Antetokounmpos.
Giannis grew up in Greece. He had a difficult childhood. He experienced poverty and, as he himself has described, faced racism because of the color of his skin. He has spoken of a Greece where, for someone with his appearance, everyday life could be difficult. And then came life’s irony. The child whom some once viewed as a “foreigner” became one of Greece’s greatest ambassadors throughout the world. The man who had to endure doubts about whether he was Greek became the one who introduced millions of people to Greece. Yiannis, Thanasis, Kostas, Alex. A family with roots in Nigeria that has become so deeply connected to Greece that the image of the Greek flag now accompanies every major success they achieve.
And yet, racism hasn’t disappeared. It just resurfaces every so often. The easiest thing in the world is to be a racist behind a screen
That’s where a large part of the problem lies today. Social media has given everyone a voice. And in doing so, it has given some people the illusion that they can insult others without consequences. A keyboard. An anonymous account. A few words. And on the other side, a person. An athlete. A child. Someone who might read the comment alone at night and wonder why they have to apologize for something they never chose. This is the true face of online racism.
And “I was just joking” is no excuse. It’s no joke when you target a person’s skin color, background, or identity. It’s not humor. It’s racism. And sports must be the first line of defense
Sports, more than any other arena, can provide the answer. Because on the field, there are no races. There are teammates.
There are no “pure-bloods” and “non-pure-bloods.” There are athletes.
There are no “sufficiently Cypriot” and “less Cypriot” people. There are kids wearing the same jersey. And when that jersey is the national team’s, the only thing that should matter to us is whether the person wearing it gives it their all.
Marina did it. Lisa does it. The Antetokounmpos did it and continue to do it. And all those who doubted them?
Let them look at the medal count. Let them look at the achievements. Let them look at the stadiums. Let them look at the flags. And let them ask themselves who, in the end, best represents Greece and Cyprus.
The one who posts a racist slur from their couch, or the one who’s inside the stadium fighting to hear the national anthem?
The answer is obvious. They don’t need our permission. Marina doesn’t need anyone’s permission to be Cypriot. Lisa doesn’t need anyone’s permission to be Greek. Yiannis doesn’t need anyone’s permission to love Greece.
No one needs a certificate of Greekness from people who have made racism the measure of their patriotism. Because there is a major misunderstanding that must finally come to an end: Patriotism isn’t about looking for who doesn’t belong. Patriotism is rejoicing when someone who represents your country succeeds.
It’s standing up when the national anthem plays. It’s being moved when the flag is raised. It’s celebrating a medal. And not caring whether the person who won it has white, black, or any other skin color. Because at the end of the day, the medal has no color. The jersey has no color. Effort has no color.
Pride has no color. And Greece and Cyprus don’t become poorer because they have people of different backgrounds. They become richer.
It is racism that diminishes them. And every time a child is forced to prove that they belong to the country where they grew up and which they represent on the international stage, our society has failed.
But Marina and Lisa did not fail.
They triumphed. Because instead of hiding, they spoke out.Instead of being ashamed, they stood tall. Instead of letting racism strip them of their pride, they wore their jerseys with even greater pride.And perhaps this is the most powerful message to all those who believe they can decide who is entitled to be called Greek or Cypriot:
You will not define us. You will not judge us. You will not tell us where we belong. Because Cyprus and Greece do not belong to racists.
They belong to those who love them, represent them, and fight every day to make them better. And when they raise the flag high, there’s only one thing we need to do: stand up ourselves and applaud.
