What constitutes incorrect behaviour?

Having had the experience of witnessing incidents of racist, discriminatory behaviour and general poor sportsmanship while playing petanque in Australia.

Having then been told if I wanted to make a complaint about this I would have to do so in writing through the sectary of my club if I wanted any action taken.

Having the gone to the bother to write my letter and after twelve months I have not received any formal reply.

I was told informally that perhaps it would be better if I didn’t play any more.

At what level do people think that racism, discrimination and general poor sportsmanship are acceptable?

Or is sledging and win by any means just part of the petanque culture?

I am from Australia and dont know about this incident that you refer to. If you want you can send me an email describing the events.

I feel that racsim with Petanque should not be tolerated nor tolerated anywhere for that.

Formalities that are set up are not the best and take too much time. If you had been treated in some way then you should have gone to the umpire of the day and make a claim. Then you know that someone else would have known about it and then the umpire would have followed it up rather then yourself.

Anyways think about it and send me an email and we can discuss.

The attitudes you describe are never acceptable, either in Pétanque or anything else.

Wherever they appear, they should be stamped on immediately.

This is sad to hear, I play in Spain, and we have 16 nationalities playing in competitions, and I dint recall any problem relating to racism, we have the odd spat with different temperants, but this is normally sorted straight away and we get on with the play, I think most of our players are enjoying the different customs and playing skills, we for our part mix freely and long may this continue.

Roger Seymour
Torrevieja
Spain

This is sad to hear, I play in Spain, and we have 16 nationalities playing in competitions, and I dint recall any problem relating to racism, we have the odd spat with different temperants, but this is normally sorted straight away and we get on with the play, I think most of our players are enjoying the different customs and playing skills, we for our part mix freely and long may this continue.

Roger Seymour
Torrevieja
Spain