The Cameroonian midfielder was the author of a remarkable performance this Saturday, September 7, against the residents of Ile-de-France in the first day of the Top 14 (31-28), the author of a spectacular defensive comeback and the winning try.
What a premium! On Saturday, September 7, rugby player Christian Ambadiang had a resounding debut with his new team: Castres Olympique. The Cameroon international began to challenge the Racing 92 Ile-de-France team at the Pierre-Fabre stadium in the first day of the Top 14. And we can say that he shone.
Primarily through this stratospheric defensive return, preventing Max Spring from scoring after an exceptional sprint. Then, right at the end of the match, scoring the winning try for Tarnais. In tears, he appreciated the applause of the audience.
But times have not always been so kind to Christian Ambadiang. On 3 September 2021, while playing for Nevers, the Cameroonian was the victim of violent racist abuse during a Pro D2 match against Provence Rugby. “Banana Eater!” Ludovic Radosavljevic told him in a tense moment.
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The latter also uttered the phrase: “I'm going to burn you!” but then assured that it was not intended for Christian Ambadiang, but for one of his teammates. He was suspended for 26 weeks.
“It's crazy to think that in the world of rugby, such racist incidents can be swept under the carpet and tolerated,” denounced Christian Ambadiang in an Instagram post at the time of the events. “I know people have been victims of blatant racism and are afraid to stand up publicly just to protect those people's reputations privately. […] The worst thing is that the people (referees) who should be watching such behavior tend to turn a blind eye.”
“How to really protect yourself from an act of racism,” he continued. “We have to do better than neglect these issues because it can have a psychological impact. I'm not a big social media person, but I hope this gets to the right people and something is done about it.”