A Rouen hockey player accused of having uttered a racist insult by an Anglet player
The Magnus League is rocked by accusations of racism made by CJ Garcia, the Canadian player from Anglet. On Monday, the 26-year-old defender (who is black) claimed on Twitter to have been treated “gorilla” by an opposing player during the home game against Rouen, February 13 (3-4).
” I am in shock. It’s 2022 and it still seems alive in hockey, he writes. It’s incredible (…). Last week, a player from the opposing team (Rouen) had the audacity to call me a “gorilla” from the bench when I wasn’t even talking to him. But when will this type of behavior stop? I can not stand it anymore ! »
The Anglet club distributed their support for their player on Twitter: “Anglet Hormadi Pays Basque joins CJ Garcia in condemning condemned the remarks made to his condemned. (…) We will continue to use our visibility to fight against all forms of racial injustice. »
The president of the Federation wants to “shed light” on this affair
In a press release, the Rouen club claims to have conducted its internal investigation immediately after the match: “It results from these hearings that if an altercation did occur between the players, no racist insult was pronounced.underlines the Norman club. As it stands, the accusations of Mr. CJ Garcia not being based on any tangible proof and not being corroborated by any of the persons present, the Rouen Hockey Elite reserves the right to take the necessary measures in relation to remarks which could be deemed defamatory. On the other hand, the Rouen Hockey Elite 76 wishes to assure Mr. CJ Garcia that if tangible proof has been provided authenticating his accusations, exemplary sanctions would have been taken because there must be no complacency with racism. »
The president of the French Federation, Pierre-Yves Gerbeau, wanted to announce “shed light on this file which had not previously been the subject of any feedback from the federal services, (…) it being understood that the FFHG does not tolerate in any way the holding of such proposals”.
The two clubs are also currently opposing each other on another dispute, concerning their match of November 30, won by Anglet (2-1) but which has just been given to play by the Federation because the goal of the equalizer had been mistakenly refused to the Rouennais in the last seconds of the game.