Sponsorship pressures behind silence of sports icons on Palestine issue

By Selman Aksunger

AMSTERDAM (AA) - Irish Paralympic coach Mark Rohan told Anadolu on Thursday that pressure from sponsorships is the main reason behind the silence of world-famous athletes on Palestine.

Rohan, 43, said that decisions made by authorities are not based on human life or ethical values, but on revenue.

"FIFA, FIBA and all other institutions are heavily dependent on sponsorship revenues," he said.

Rohan indicated that when prominent names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and David Beckham remain silent, lower-level athletes feel unable to speak.

"The next generation, including Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe, will not be able to speak out because no one is leading the way," he said.

Rohan said famous faces do not dare use words phrases like, "This is wrong", "They're starving a nation", "They're killing people", "They're targeting people" and "They're creating genocide."

He stressed that leaders are needed as he emphasized that great athletes need to come forward to get enough reaction in the sports world.

"These individuals need to step up and lead. Unfortunately, our athletes today lack this quality; they are not our leaders," he said.

He criticized Western countries that are thought to be on the side of justice and human rights for supporting Israel.

"It is very strange that England, America and Germany stand with Israel," he added.

- Genocide in Gaza has resulted in thousands of amputations

The Irish coach drew attention to the fact that the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip has caused thousands to lose limbs.

"There are currently around 40,000 amputees in Gaza as a result of the ongoing attacks. Sports can be an important tool for these people to hold on to life," he said.

Despite his somber assessment, Rohan said he will do his "best to train more athletes in the coming years."

Rohan is the winner of two gold medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympics.

He is the coach of the Gaza Sunbirds Paralympic Cycling Team in Portugal and has been a volunteer coach for the Gaza Paralympic Cycling Team for the last year.

Israel has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza since an attack last year by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 42,800 people, mostly women and children, have been killed, and over 100,500 injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid anblockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

*Writing by Emre Asikci in Istanbul