Under a Padua Sun

29 December 2024

By Vojin Ivkov

This article comes from the anti-racist fanzine ‘A Sporting Chance’, created by the ERRC in 2024 to highlight the experiences of Roma, Sinti, & Travellers fighting racism through sport as part of the EU-funded Moving On project.

A match report on the international Roma, Sinti, and Travellers’ multi-sport event held in Padua Italy on 9th July 2024

The sun was positioned high above the park in Padua. The smell of sweat and watermelon mixed with the heat of northern Italy gave us a fragrant stage for what promised to be a memorable afternoon.

On a Tuesday afternoon in July, the combined forces of Roma, Sinti, and Travellers from several European countries faced off. The representatives from Ireland, tough competitors all, came with a number of Travellers hoping to prove themselves. The Spanish delegation was made up of a Romani family, headed by a father who also works as a preacher in his free time. The Czech cohort came with more than five representatives. When they appeared at the park; heads turned. This was a team of Roma who came with a clear idea, to leave a mark on Padua. The Italians brought the most representatives, not so much to compete but to play their part as good hosts.

And then there was me: a guy from Serbia, never accomplished enough as a journalist, but a photographer in my free time, and a documentarian who found myself with this group in Italy. As a representative of the ERRC, I was there to make a fanzine and exhibition about Roma and Travellers in sports. The reason for the gathering of such a large number in a park, under the 33°C heat of the Italian afternoon sun, was not gelato, but an initiative of several organisations aiming to improve access to sport for Roma, Sinti, and Travellers. And – you guessed it – they’re here to compete in sports. So, I’ll try to describe the atmosphere as best I can, moving from sport to sport. Let’s go…

Frisbee

Yes, you read that right, Frisbee. ‘Ultimate’ Frisbee, in fact.

I didn't know what to expect either, but there I was on the field, thinking that we’ll pass it around like at the beach. I couldn't have been more wrong; these people were throwing themselves on the grass, diving through the air, bumping into each other. No-one was there to explain to them that this isn’t rugby. I raised my hand, a worried expression on my face, with a question but all I got was a scolding look. The Italian home side provided coaches for every sport, including this one. My understanding is that, ultimately, the coaches were there just to calm everyone down, but I have to admit, although it's fun to watch, I'm not sure this is the sport for me.

Music is the answer

Next in line was the dance martial art, Capoeira. The only team that signed up for this was Ireland. I tried to find some symbolism in that, but it escapes me.

This is not my first contact with this sport. I saw it in Serbia, about fifteen years ago, when I attended a Capoeira demonstration in my hometown. All that slow motion dancing provoked a flood of sarcasm in me that I couldn't keep inside. Seeing as I had an opinion, they invited me to join them on the mats for a little bit of sparring. I lasted five whole seconds until I took a head shot and ended up on my back. I came away with a new-found respect for the sport. In Padua, it looked exactly the same. The coaches performed the exercises slowly while the Irish calmly followed their movements. If you looked at them from a distance, they appeared like a mirage in the scorching weather. I admit that I found it interesting to watch the slow-motion movements, something about it made me think about my life…where I am…who I am.

Next up was Breakdancing, the 2024 Olympic sport, making its way to the Padua park. As a hip-hop kid, this grabbed my attention. The Spanish delegation was also eager for this part of the programme. At the beginning, everything seemed simple and easy, every move was demonstrated and repeated. But when it came time to put the movements together and create a choreography there was a problem. It's easy to sit on the sidelines and comment, it's another thing to be there and actually do it. Since I sat this one out on the sidelines, I’ll take care of the commentary. It took a few tries to master the choreography, but once they had it down it was actually pretty good. As hip-hop fans, most of us never considered Breaking a sport, but it seems that times have changed and, honestly, I’m sort of glad. I’ve always been convinced that music, my music, is still underground but it's clearly not. Now they are teaching it in a park in Padua and I am happy for the kids learning the basics.

The main event

Americans call it soccer, but we simply call it “footy”. The largest delegation, the delegation from the Czech Republic, oversaw the beautiful game. The concrete court, which seemed allergic to shade, was the centre stage in the park. They split up, four against four, the atmosphere was electrified. You would think that the game was being played for a spot in the Champions League. Angry glances, no one even blinked an eye, they were obviously there to prove themselves.

The game started fiercely, no one paid attention to the time or the score: they simply played. In the first five minutes of the game, the tactics of both teams seemed to be to tire out and annoy their opponents. The ferocity of the passes and the defence took its first casualty on the field; the twisted ankle of a young athlete from the Czech Republic. The sub was called in. A kid no older than fourteen stepped up, who, as it turned out later, would cause some serious problems for the opposition defence. The intensity of the game did not decrease. Passes intended for grassy fields skidded across ruined concrete. Football of the people. 

After the 20th minute and several goals, which no one even counted, the atmosphere on and around the field changed. Everything became more casual, and football was played just for the sake of the game. Sport as it should be, if you ask me. The people watching from the sidelines slowly got involved in the match. It reminded me of summer nights in my own neighbourhood, where everyone is welcome to participate as long as they are willing to run a little and take a joke at their own expense.

The match ended in fellowship and the sharing of watermelons that the team from Italy had purchased for the occasion. As the light changed from bright to golden, local kids and elderly people from Padua approached and got involved in the day's activities, initially intended for Europe’s Roma, Sinti, and Travellers but, in the end, for everyone. The whole idea of the project, played out organically in the microcosm of a single football match. This is what sport is all about.