The Secretary General of the Dutch Football Federation KNVB, Gijs de Jong, will visit Auckland’s Otahuhu United on Saturday.
It’s his first stop on a visit to New Zealand and the Pacific.
On Saturday, he’ll meet members of Auckland’s Pasifika football community at Otahuhu United’s Seaside Park.
Main photo: The Secretary General of the Dutch Football Federation KNVB, Gijs de Jong.
He and NZ Football president Johanna Wood will discuss concerns about racism and discrimination in football, and what the KNVB does to tackle it.
They will share details of FIFA’s campaign to combat racism which includes the introduction of a ‘No Racism’ gesture used to signal racist abuse.
The crossed-arms gesture was introduced at the recent FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
By crossing their hands at the wrists, players are able to signal directly to the referee that they are being targeted by racist abuse, prompting the referee to start a three-step procedure.
With the first step, the match will be stopped. If the abuse continues, the match will be suspended, with the players and match officials exiting the field of play.
In the event the incident does not cease, in the third step, the match will be abandoned.
READ MORE: FIFA introduces ‘No Racism’ gesture >>>>
The visit by Gijs de John and Johanna Wood is part of Otahuhu United’s activation day, between 1pm and 3pm.
The activation day includes free activities for players aged 4-8, and brings together clubs in the South Auckland junior cluster, including Manukau United and South Auckland Rangers.
After his visit to New Zealand, Gijs de Jong will go to Fiji to help deliver a KNVB WorldCoaches programme which supports efforts to help people become coaches and role models in their community.
READ MORE: KNVN’S WorldCoaches programme >>>>
This story was first published on October 4, 2024.
More football stories
