OPINION | This article contains commentary that reflects the author's opinion.
Professional tennis player Dejana Radanovic faced accusations of racism after criticizing India’s food, traffic, and hygiene on social media following three ITF tournaments in the country.
Radanovic defended herself, stating that her comments were about the country itself, not its people.
“Adios India. See you never ever ever ever ever EVER again,” Radanovic wrote.
good morning to Serbian tennis star Dejana Radanovic pic.twitter.com/G1pptHQEu2
— pagliacci the hated 🌝 (@Slatzism) February 7, 2024
“Hello civilization. Only those who have experienced something like India for 3 weeks can understand the feeling,” she said when in Germany.
She emphasized that she enjoyed the people of India but had issues with certain aspects of the country.
“I didn’t like India – the country,” she later said. “I didn’t like the food, traffic, hygiene (worms in the food, yellow pillows and dirty bed linen in the hotel, not knowing how to use roundabout etc.)”
“If you come to my country, Serbia, and you don’t like all those same things, that means you are a racist??? What the hell that has to do with racism?! I have friends all nationalities and colors so don’t go there cause it’s an absolute NONSENSE!”
“95% of the people who go to India from anywhere else in the world cannot adopt [sic] to that kind of life! Of course it’s different when you are born there and used to it! How does not liking mentioned things mean I didn’t like the people? Quite opposite, I liked the people there a lot,” she said.
Despite her explanation, some individuals interpreted her remarks as racist.
Radanovic’s posts sparked a debate on social media, with some defending her and others criticizing her perspective.
“Coming from a white person this reeks of racism,” one X user wrote. “Nobody forced you to drink tap water. Drink mineral one or from an aquaguard, pretty cheap. Wash the fruits/vegetables. Nobody is asking you to lick them raw from roadside. You lack the brains, the country is fine.”
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