PUMA BALL STREET KINGS: LaLiga continues racism fight

Lagos, Nigeria, 7th December 2024.- Football enthusiasts in Lagos gathered last Saturday for a landmark event hosted by LALIGA which spotlighted the league’s global LALIGA VS Racism campaign and showcased the PUMA Orbita match ball being used across the Spanish top flight this season.

The PUMA BALL STREET KINGS tournament – the third such competition in Lagos in three years – was at the heart of the event, featuring matches between community-based teams such as Pinnock Estate, Royal Garden Estate, Esmerald Estate, Real Madrid Fan Club, Chevron Estate and Femi Okunu Housing Estate, as well as a side made up of journalists. These teams are a vital component of LALIGA’s development initiatives, underscoring the league’s commitment to empowering communities and combating discrimination through football.

SuperSport, Africa’s leading sports broadcaster, was on hand to cover the event, while SportyBet, LALIGA’s official betting partner in Africa, was also on hand to assist in the organisation.

Desmond Chiji, LALIGA Delegate in Nigeria, said: “The PUMA BALL STREET KINGS tournament is the ideal showcase for the sense of community and tolerance that the LALIGA VS platform is all about. Racism has no place in football or society. Through LALIGA VS Racism we are reaffirming our commitment to transparency, unity, and diversity, which truly make the game beautiful.”

LALIGA VS Racism, which is part of the wider LALIGA VS platform, is a comprehensive campaign dedicated to eradicating racism and hate both inside and outside football stadiums. It combines educational and preventative initiatives, including increasing the visibility of reporting channels, the use of personalized captain’s armbands and fixed informative signs inside LALIGA grounds, together with firm action such as working closely with governmental and judicial authorities to hold perpetrators accountable. LALIGA has recently collaborated with Nigerian media platforms to amplify this anti-racism messaging, emphasizing the importance of addressing the issue head-on.

The campaign has also put into action widespread awareness campaigns, building on over 700 initiatives carried out by LALIGA and Spanish clubs over the past decade targeting discrimination, and implemented innovative projects like M.O.O.D. (Monitor for the Observation of Hate in Sport), an independent AI tool for tracking hate speech in sports-related conversations online.

This long-term commitment and initiatives have borne fruit in the fight against racism. In June 2024, the first ever-conviction for racist insults at a football match in Spain was handed down as a result of a complaint filed directly by LALIGA to the courts, while a comparative analysis of over 21 million social media conversations across the 2023/24 season showed a 45% decrease in racist comments when compared to a comparable period in the 2022/23 season when M.O.O.D. tool began collecting data.

Saturday’s event not only showcased Nigeria’s rich footballing culture. The tournament emphasized the vital and very real connection between LALIGA’s global initiatives and grassroots football, serving as a backdrop for panel discussions with media and stakeholders, exploring how football can foster social cohesion and combat discrimination.

Tresor Penku, Managing Director for LALIGA Africa, added: “Football is a unifying force that transcends borders and cultures. The efforts globally are a testament to our determination to use the sport as a vehicle for meaningful change, ensuring that football remains a safe and inclusive space for all.”

As LALIGA continues its work across Africa and the globe, its commitment to making football a sport for all reinforces the unifying power of the beautiful game.