Tokyo 2020: Commentator sacked after making racist remarks during table tennis event
- Dimosthenis Karmiris was sacked after making racial comments against a South Korean in the men's table tennis event
- The matured Greek commentator made belittling remarks about Jeoung Young-sik who defeat his fellow countryman Panagiotis
- ERT, the news media outlet Karmiris was working for expelled him and made a statement regarding his comments
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Dimosthenis Karmiris, a Greek commentator was expelled by his employers following comments he made during a racist remark at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Sport Bible, Daily Mail.
Jeoung vs Gionis thrilling game
There was a third-round men's table tennis match between South Korean Jeoung Young-sik and Greece's Panagiotis Gionis.
Source: UGC
It was a keenly contested match but the Korean won by four games to three with the score 7-11, 11-7, 8-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-6, 14-12, to qualify into the last 16.
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What Karamis said
Karmiris was then asked about what he thought about the Jeoung beating his compatriot in the entertaining match he said:
"Their eyes are narrow so I can´t understand how they can see the ball moving back and forth."
ERT's response to Karamis' statement
The news media outlet he was working for ERT released a statement condemning the use f racist remarks.
"Racist comments have no place on public television.
"The collaboration between ERT and Dimosthenis Karmiris was terminated today, immediately after the morning show."
Jeoung went on to defeat German Timo Boll in the round of 16 but bowed out of the competition following a loss to world No.1 China's Zhendong Fan in the quarter-finals.
The South Korean will not go home yet, as he will represent his country in the teams' event where they will face Slovenia.
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh also reported that Fethi Nourine is the first athlete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to have been sent home after withdrawing from competing with Israel's Tohar Butbul, Complete Sports, Japan Times.
Nourine was slated to face Butbul in the second round of the 73kg men's category if he went past Sudan's Mohamed Abdalrasool.
The 30-year-old told the press that he withdrew because his support for Palestine is bigger than his Olympic dreams.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
Lukman Mumuni (Sports Editor) Lukman Abdul Mumin is a CAF-accredited Sports Journalist based in Accra, Ghana. He has been writing for the past eight years. Lukman has worked with some of Ghana's big media houses like GMA and was a regular pundit on GTV. He started his journalism career as a presenter and a writer after studying at the Gee Way Media School. Lukman has covered several international competitions including AFCON 2023. Email: lukmanevergreen2g15@gmail.com
Aba Afful (Copyeditor) Maame Aba serves as a copy editor at YEN.com.gh. She naturally enjoys working with words and has an eye for quality content. She has a keen interest in cyberspace and wants to see YEN.com.gh produce more impactful, thought-provoking, and error-free content. Aba has five years of experience as a content writer, blogger, author, and proofreader. She graduated from the Ghana Institute of Journalism in 2017. She joined the team in 2021.
