Ireland's sports ministry responds to viral video of black girl ignored in award ceremony

A video of the March 2022 event shows a judge awarding medals for participation to a line of young gymnasts while ignoring the only black girl.

The response, in the form of a statement, comes more than a year after the incident occurred.

The judge is seen handing out medals while ignoring the only black girl in the lineup, according to the video.

The photographer, coach, and other officials in attendance at the award ceremony did not intervene.

Following the incident, the girl's family contacted the Ministry of Sport, Sports Ireland, the Olympic Federation, and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.

The mother, who was not named in this incident in order to protect the minor child, wrote to the sports ministry requesting action on the incident.

The organizations in question made no public comments or condemned the behavior, and it took the video going viral before Gymnastics Ireland issued a "apology" to the family.

The announcement comes after the incident has received over 40 million views on X.

Gymnastics Ireland stated that a parent complained about alleged racist behavior, and that a settlement was reached in August of this year.

“We would like to unreservedly apologise to the gymnast and her family for the upset that has been caused by the incident at the Gym Start event in March 2022,” the statement read in part.

Ireland's sporting authority initially told the family that the judge who awarded the medals was not racist. Una May, CEO of Sports Ireland, stated that the judge had simply "tangled" up the medals.

It is feared that May’s remarks speak volumes about the systemic racism in Irish sports.

“What happened on the day should not have happened and for that we are deeply sorry. We are also sorry that what has happened since that date has caused further upset,” the statement continued.

Despite international organizations expressing their support for the girl, Irish institutions have been slow to respond. The judge agreed to take anti-racism training as part of a mediation settlement with the family.

Sports Ireland has not stated whether they represented May's position that the judge's actions were "unintentional" and a "honest error." They claimed to have kept in touch throughout the investigation.

“Sport Ireland’s position throughout was that the incident in question should not have happened and should be investigated by Gymnastics Ireland,” the statement said, adding: “Sport Ireland condemns any form of racism whatsoever.”

The Departments of Tourism, Culture, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media have all condemned Ireland's slow response to the incident.

“That lack of response was particularly shocking given how powerful the video was, Perry Ogden, the CEO of Sports Against Racism Ireland said. 

“We were extremely surprised that nobody would engage with us. And so, we could only make the assumption that they were hoping it would just go away,” Ogden said