[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, a World Cup VAR official was captured on camera making a gesture potentially regarded as racist, prompting FIFA to launch an immediate investigation. Evans, a referee from the Australian league, served as the video assistant referee during Germany’s 7-1 thrashing of World Cup debutants Curaçao. However, live broadcast footage caught Evans making the downward “OK” gesture in front of the camera. In recent years, this hand signal has been adopted by far-right groups as a symbol of white supremacy. A member of staff had their accreditation revoked at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games for making a similar gesture. The BBC reported back in 2019 that the OK sign had been added to the list of hate symbols. The Anti-Defamation League points out that while the mainstream use of the OK gesture still conveys agreement or acknowledgement, it has become a popular provocative tool among far-right factions, with right-wing individuals frequently posting photos of themselves performing the gesture on social media platforms.
The editor believes that this incident must be investigated prudently, and we should not jump to conclusions about the perpetrator’s intentions.