Family of young black girl dem no give medal for Irish gymnastics event say apology dem receive dey 'useless'

Di mother of one black girl wey dem no give medal during Irish gymnastics event ceremony tok say di apology she bin receive dey "useless".

One recent viral video show di alleged racist treatment of one young black gymnast, wey di medals official ignore for one sport event for Dublin last year.

Di girl mama tok say watching wetin happun dat time, dey "horrible".

Gymnastics Ireland apologise give di family on Monday "for di palava wey e don cause".

Inside di statement, di governing body tok say " dem dey deeply sorry", we know say we need to do more to ensure "nothing like dis go happun again" and we condemn" racism.

But di girl mama tok say di sports body beg dem for public afta 18 months becos di world want make dem tell dem sorry.

"[Di apology dey] almost useless," she tok. " Dem no show empathy, Ifeel like say e no dey true.

"E don reach 18 months and e be like say dem pressure dem to give di apology.

"I cry for a long time and den millions of pipo cry wit me bifor I fit get am."

Di incident happun for GymStart event for di capital of Irish for March 2022, wen dem award children di participants medals but one young black girl no receive one ontop of di podium.

Di judge for di event later beg di family for her "mistake" and say she no go "ever ever be racist".

However, di girl family belief say dia daughter na subject of racism.

Dem don ask say make dia family name no dey mentioned, as dem dey fear say e fit prompt racist abuse.

Her mama say watching di incident happun dey "unbelievable".

"I no believe say for dis day and time, e fit still happun," she tok.

"E dey painful to tok about wetin happun - my girl na di only black pikin for dat competition, she stand out well, dem no get excuse for wetin happun. She feel very upset about wetin happun.

"E dey almost as if dem blame her for being black. Na something wey dey very uncomfortable for a 10-year-old to go through."

She tok say she email di governing body di next day, as she dey hope say she go get apology for her pikin.

"Wetin I want na empathetic reply from dem," di girl mama tok. "I wan make dem show support for [my pikin]. And really wetin we want na apology wey we go fit show her. To say dis na from dem, to make her feel supported."

One year afta di incident, di family receive short apology letter from di judge for di event, wey dem address as "To whom e concern".

But BBC don find out say di judge bin write anoda email apology shortly after di incident and send to Gymnastics Ireland to give di family.

Inside di email she beg di family for upsetting "you and your lovely child", she tok say she bin dey very nervous, na genuine mistake. "Wen I realise my mistake," she tok say," I run back to get your lovely child a participation medal and apologise".

Di family say dme no receive dat email. dem see am last month wen dem meet wit di judge for one mediation session. Dem expect say Gymnastics Ireland go dey for di session but dem no send representative.

Di family say e dey clear to dem afta di mediation say di medal refusal dey informed by racial bias. We approach di judge for comment but we no receive any reply.

But di family main issue na di reaction of di sport governing bodies.

"Dem dey try to cover up like say e no happun," di girl papa tok sa,. "dem tink say we go forget about wetin happun, e dey painful. You get to beg for apology."

Di apology from Gymnastics Ireland, wey we receive last week, afta di video don go viral, dey "useless", di girl mama tok.

"I neva show her, to be honest, because na ova one year," she tok.

She tell BBC say she want to see change for di Ireland Department of Sport policy, she add say "we no wan see dis happun to any oda black child or whatever race".

Gymnastics Ireland tell BBC say e accept say e take "far too long to apologise to di family" and "di girl and her parents don dey let down".

Dem acknowledge dia lack of response, empathy and tok say dis na di first complaint of racism wey dem don receive since di foundation and dem don learn from am.

"Di delay happun sake of different reasons including human error, threats of legal action, intervention by third parties and our own understanding say dis complaint na from di parents against di official."

Afta di incident, one campaign group, Sport Against Racism Ireland take di family case up, wey inform di American civil rights activist Professor Harry Edwards.

E in turn contact gymnast world champion Simone Biles, wey send di family video of support.

"I wan let you know say I see how dem treat you for GymStart event recently. I dey completely shocked. I want you to know say you deserve di medal just like di oda girls," Ms Biles tok.

Receiving dat video dey special, di girl tell BBC: "I just dey jump around all ova di place because na she bin di best gymnast ever and I dey really happy to hear say she dey on my side."

And e don inspire me to stay in di sport.

"Yeah, I go still continue," she tok. "I go continue to keep striving hard."