Sports
The Burden of Greatness
Mohamed Salah’s superstardom helped reshape Liverpool’s identity, but amid a resurgent far right and rising racial tensions, his symbolic status reveals the impossible standards placed on minorities.
Soccer’s Broken Dreams
In West Africa, professional soccer holds out the hope of escape from poverty, unemployment and political instability. And each year, thousands of aspiring players are trafficked, paying money to fraudulent agents to attend tryouts that never existed.
Imane Khelif Has Been Caught in the Crossfire of a Dispute Over Who Controls Boxing
A recent press conference held by the International Boxing Association failed to justify its campaign on the gender eligibility of women fighters at the Olympics. But it did shine a spotlight on a chaotic, Russian-backed organization seeking to gain influence by making mischief, with Imane Khelif caught in the crossfire.
Imane Khelif’s Punch and the Culture Wars
In her home country of Algeria, the controversy around Imane Khelif’s gender has managed to rally the entirety of a nation whose multiethnic nature and sprawling and varied geography have long defied easy categorization.
Argentina’s Racism Problem
This is why Enzo Fernandez's video sparked so many political reactions. Since, supposedly, there are no Black people or racism in Argentina, no one felt the need to offer any explanation or apology. Worse still, most comments on social media did not even recognize racism in the song, viewing it merely as a “description” of the African heritage of French players — homophobia and transphobia were not mentioned at all — or just an example of “soccer folklore.”
Soccer’s Rising Stars of African Origin — with Segun Odegbami and Ponga Liwewe
On this episode of the podcast, host Kwangu Liwewe discusses the inexorable rise of soccer stars of African origin with former Nigeria player Segun “The Mathematical” Odegbami and soccer journalist Ponga Liwewe.
Women in Chess Speak Up on Sexual Harassment
When two-time U.S. women’s chess champion Jennifer Shahade accused the American grandmaster Alejandro Ramirez of sexual assault earlier this year, it kickstarted a wider movement. Several international players have spoken to New Lines, sharing their experiences publicly for the first time.