Latest news with #P-word
Daily Record
29-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Schoolboy who quit football after 'vile, racist abuse' returns to sport
Haaris Arshad was left in tears and refused to return after he was allegedly called the "P-word" by a group who "punched", "pushed", and "taunted" shortly after arriving for the two-day Motherwell FC course. A Scots boy who was allegedly called the "P-word" in vile racist physical and verbal assault at a youth Motherwell FC training camp run has made a spectacular return to football. On Wednesday April 18, Haaris Arshad had been "buzzing" to attend the event at Fir Park Stadium alongside his cousin, Ben Reynolds. However, the then eight-year-old was left in tears and refused to return after the two schoolboys were allegedly called the " P-word" and were told to "go home" by another group while both were "punched", "pushed", and "taunted" shortly after arriving for the two-day course. Dad Wasim Arshad, said at the time: "My son is football daft - he absolutely loves it and never misses a day's training. But since this, he hasn't been able to go back to training." Following the incident, Wasim had a meeting with the CEO of Motherwell who tried to persuade him to come back to the training session, but the youngster "wasn't interested" and stopped playing football all together for two weeks. Wasim told Glasgow Live: "He decided he didn't want anything to do with football for two weeks. It really hit his confidence. "But one of his coaches came round to the house with new goalkeeping gloves that the entire team had chipped in to buy for him. He decided to go back, but he was very nervous and worried that people were going to call him names." Haaris, now aged nine, returned to playing for Blantyre Celtic, but the season ended shortly after. But the youngster turned heads in his first tournament back for the side on Sunday, July 27, being named the best player. Proud dad Wasim said: "It was an amazing achievement for him, especially because he is a goalkeeper. Parents and coaches were coming up to me and saying how well he was playing. "One of the main coaches said he played at a very high level for his age and made some phenomenal saves. As a father, it makes you really proud. "It was incredible how, through his own hard work and support from his teammates, he's gone from wanting to quit football to winning an award. Especially being a goalkeeper, these things usually go to strikers." The young Celtic fan has set his sights on playing for the Parkhead side one day. Wasim added: "He's got the talent for it. In a few years I could see the big clubs being interested in him. It's something he wants to pursue and we are supporting him towards that. You never know what can happen." A spokesperson for Motherwell FC said at the time: "We are aware of an alleged incident that took place at one of the Club's charity partners, Motherwell Football Club Community Trust's Easter Holiday Camps. "An allegation was made after the conclusion to the holiday camp on Wednesday that a young child had used racial language towards another child participant. " Motherwell FC Community Trust have a zero tolerance to any discriminatory language and have reported the alleged incident to 'Show Racism the Red card' and Police Scotland who have both confirmed that the Trust have followed all the correct procedures following this allegation. "A meeting has been set up with the affected parent. No further comment will be made at this time." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
The Guardian
25-02-2025
- The Guardian
Two children used racist language during fatal attack on 80-year-old man, court told
Two children used racist taunts during a fatal attack on an 80-year-old man in which he was slapped in the face with a shoe while kneeling on the ground, a court has heard. Bhim Kohli died on 2 September last year, the day after he was allegedly assaulted by a balaclava-clad 14-year-old boy in Franklin Park, in the Braunstone Town area of Leicester, while walking his dog near his home. The boy, now 15, is accused of repeatedly hitting and kicking Kohli, including taking off one of his shoes and using it to hit Kohli while he was on the ground, and is on trial for murder and manslaughter. A 13-year-old girl, who was 12 at the time, is alleged to have encouraged the violence, which she partly recorded on her phone while laughing, and has been charged with manslaughter. Neither defendant can be named due to their age, and both deny the charges. After the incident, Kohli was said to have told his daughter than he had been 'punched in the face and they kicked me', and said that he had been called the P-word. He was taken to hospital for treatment but died the following day from a neck injury that had caused trauma to his spinal cord. He also had fractured ribs and bruising. The trial at Leicester crown court heard the two defendants were part of a group of five teenagers who encountered Kohli in the park on 1 September. The girl standing trial had allegedly pointed out Kohli to the group and accused him of previously trying to hit one of the boy's friends with a stick. It is alleged that three of the teenagers ran off, but the boy – wearing a balaclava – accosted Kohli, pushed him and then attacked him while he was kneeling on the ground. The teenage girl stayed and recorded parts of the attack on her phone, with the footage showing the boy using a black slider sandal he had removed from his foot to slap Kohli in the face while she laughed. 'When [Kohli] was on his knees, he was not in a position to threaten anyone. There was nothing for [the boy] to fear from an 80-year-old man who was on his knees. It was just pure violence,' said Harpreet Sandhu KC, for the prosecution. 'They used racist taunts towards Kohli. [The boy] did not just push Mr Kohli over, but he subjected him to an intense attack.' Shortly afterwards, Kohli tried to make a phone call to his grandson for help, but was unable to get a hold of him. He was next filmed walking towards the exit of the park and shouting, and then filmed lying on the ground. The court heard that a CCTV camera recorded the boy saying that Kohli had 'whacked his head off a log', while the girl could be heard saying: 'I know, I saw that. It goes doosh'. One witness, who saw the pair walking away from the park, said he heard the boy say they had 'beaten up some guy' and there was 'a dead guy on the floor'. Other witnesses in the park said they heard the pair 'bragging', including hearing the girl say she had slapped Kohli. The pair later alleged that Kohli had threatened the girl with a knife, and this had triggered the violence. 'It was not in Kohli's habit to carry a knife. No knife was recovered from the clothing he was wearing, and no knife was recovered from the park,' Sandhu said. Sandhu said the boy later told a friend 'he could not stop kicking' Kohli, and told another 'I've killed an 80-year-old man or put him in intensive care.' He was arrested the following day from his home address where he was found hiding in a bush after telling his mother he was going on the run. The trial continues.
