A football player from the Ivory Coast in West Africa was chased and beaten up by a crowd in Kerala's Malappuram district during a Sevens football tournament held in the region recently.
Hassane Junior was hired by the football club Jawahar Mavoor to play sevens football, a variation of the game with seven players on each side. However, the alleged attack happened on March 10 when the player from the West African country went to play a five-a-side match near Areekode.
Some of the spectators alleged that the footballer kicked one of them, which led to the incident.
In a video of the incident that has gone viral, the man, Dairrassouba Hassane Junior, wearing a blue t-shirt, is seen scampering on the ground in Areekode as a group of people chase him.
“The spectators called me an ‘African monkey’ and ‘black cat’, and pelted stones which hit my head. I was attacked because of my skin colour, my race and I have been insulted,” The News Minute quoted Hassane Junior.
The complaint was forwarded to the Areekode police, who recorded his statement for further action.