Irankunda said that Genson's comments about "monoculture" upset many Australian players
Australian national team winger Nestori Irankunda said that comments made by One Nation party leader Pauline Hanson about rejecting multiculturalism upset many of the team’s players during the World Cup. He made these remarks on 702 ABC Sydney, according to ABC News Australia.
In June, while the Australian national team was competing in North America, Henson called for an end to Australia’s long-standing policy of multiculturalism and a shift toward “monoculture” during a speech at the National Press Club. According to Irankunda, what he heard upset him and other players, although he tried to ignore it and avoid social media.
The soccer player, who is one of several Socceroos players from refugee families, emphasized that the actions of a few individuals should not be used as a basis for generalizing about everyone. He mentioned his teammates Avera Mabil and Mohamed Touré, noting that many people with similar backgrounds represent Australia and, in his words, are doing the right thing.
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Nestori Irankunda was born in 2006 in a refugee camp in Tanzania to a Burundian family that had fled the civil war in their country. He arrived in Australia when he was three months old. The soccer player said he would not like to speak with the senator at this time, as he is still upset by her statements and some of her previous remarks.
Following her speech at the National Press Club, Henson stated in the Senate that the Socceroos embody her vision of a “monocultural Australia”: people of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and nationalities playing in green-and-gold uniforms and representing a single country. Earlier, Aver Mabil had stated that these comments did not distract the team from the tournament, and he called the suggestion that Australia is not a multicultural society unfounded.
Australia ended its World Cup run with a loss to Egypt in the round of 32. Irankunda believes the team has significant young talent and is capable of advancing further in the tournament in the future.
