What Did Gary Hood Say? Para-bowler Expelled After A Facebook Post About Politician Rishi Sunak
In the news right now is Scottish para-bowler Garry Hood, who is suspended from the country’s Commonwealth Games team for a racist Facebook post he made about Scotland’s political figures Rishi Sunak and Humza Yousaf.
At Birmingham 2022, Hood was scheduled to compete in the men’s pairs, with his opening match on July 29, 2022. After an 11-month hospital stay and 28 years since his first appearance at the Games, this game represented his chance to make a comeback.
Hood suffered from Guillain-Barre syndrome in 2015. The disease affected his nerves and resulted in muscle weakness and numbness. Hood spent over 11 months paralyzed and on life support because of the condition. After months of treatment, he rehabilitated to the point where he can once more walk with a stick. And with the recovery, his inclusion in the Scotland bowling team was confirmed.
He won’t be able to participate, though, as he reportedly made racist comments on social media.
What Did Garry Hood Say?
The original statement that the para bowler made on Facebook has already been deleted. Regardless, according to sources, he made a racist remark about Rishi Sunak, a candidate for prime minister, and Humza Yousaf, the Scottish health secretary.
The deleted Facebook post pointed to the religion of the politicians; “Islamist” Hood emphasized as he wrote their names and continued remarking that they would run the UK, followed by an angry emoji at the end.
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Rishi Sunak is Hindu by religion; however, Hood addressed him as Islamic. Moreover, he used the context of religion to express his anger at the politicians. His actions were against the anti-racist policy Commonwealth Games Scotland stood by. According to sources, Hood even made use of Islamophobic phrases, which are redacted on images of his post that are publicly available online.
Hood is banned from the Men’s Para Pairs competition he was scheduled to compete in due to his Facebook post. The authorities reportedly suspended him for three months, according to the BBC. And because Hood appealed the ruling, it ended his season at all levels and required him to complete an education program before returning to the game.
Facebook Post And Tweets About Rishi Sunak
Hood did not stop with his first offensive Facebook post. He posted another explaining his mind in his previous post.
His second Facebook post read: “Anyone who knows me will know I speak my mind.”
“This transcends everything in life as free speech. A basic right of every individual.”
“For clarity, I’ve given no opinion on the post or said I’d be against Rishi Sunak being our next PM, Islamist or not. My support for him can be found on my social media. My support started soon into the Covid-19 pandemic, as he supported many thousands of people and businesses throughout the pandemic, “Hood added.
He continued by remarking, “Since Boris Johnson resigned, Rishi has been the favorite for PM, and all I’ve done is reiterated this, no matter his color, creed, or religion. I post this to let my friends know what’s happening, as my phone hasn’t stopped ringing and pinging since yesterday.”
Hood ended the post by saying, “I wish all my colleagues all the best at Birmingham 2022. Bring back the gold yins!”
The news has as well traveled to TikTok. A Journalist Alex Tiffin tweeted on the platform stating, “He (Hood) thinks free speech extends to being overtly racist and Islamophobic too,” alongside screenshots of Hood’s Facebook comments.
Suspended @Team_Scotland para bowler Garry Hood is not a fan of the SNP comparing them to Sinn Féin and likes Nicola Sturgeon being called a “Globslist Stooge”.
Oh Scotland is a dictatorship too…
He thinks free speech extends to being overtly racist and Islamophobic too. pic.twitter.com/XMCLoU6p39
— Alex Tiffin (@RespectIsVital) July 23, 2022
Where Is Garry Hood Now, And Where Is He Going?
Garry Hod was scheduled to compete in the CommonWealth game in pairs with Kevin Wallace, but because of his suspension, he will not participate in any of the games. It’s unclear what he’ll do next.
He has, though, appealed the authorities’ judgment. He told BBC Scotland that their judgment was startling and that his acts didn’t warrant such a severe penalty. He further stated that he is convinced that the procedure has significant faults and that he believes his appeal will shed light on what led to this terrible judgment.
