Team GB women’s football squad started the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games by taking the knee before playing against Chile in their first match.
Last week the team announced their intent to take the knee before all of their games in Japan.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) previously banned athletes from making political statements at tournaments. However, rules around protests at Tokyo 2020 are relaxed this year.
The Chilean football team joined in with taking the knee before play began. No fans were there in attendance at the Sapporo Dome to watch the match, where Britain won 2-0.
Team GB captain Steph Houghton says the team were all united in wanting to take the knee. It is something they all feel strongly about. They talked about it beforehand and decided as a group. “We want to fight all forms of discrimination and as a group of women we wanted to kneel against it”, she adds.
Highlighting racial injustice
After the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, football players and officials started taking the knee before games to highlight racial injustice and discrimination. It began in the Premier League and English Football League, with women’s football following suit during the 2020-21 season.
Players at Tokyo 2020, in both the women’s and men’s teams, are taking the knee before matches in a statement against racial inequality. British Goalkeeper Carly Telford hopes the actions of the team will encourage others to do the same.
The Tokyo Games is widely opposed in Japan, as cases of Covid rise, and fans are not allowed to attend the event. However, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) backs the decision for the Games to go ahead.
Chilean taekwondo athlete Fernanda Aguirre became the first Olympian out of the competition because of a positive Covid test.
Meanwhile, hosts Japan opened the tournament with a strong 8-1 victory against Australia in the group stages of the softball event, in front of an empty stadium. This is the first time softball has featured in the Olympic programme in 13 years. It is clear, Team Japan are determined to hold on to their 2008 title.
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