Real Madrid striker Vinicius Júnior was decorated this Wednesday with the main distinctions granted by the regional and municipal legislatures of Rio de Janeiroin a ceremony at maracana stadium where the regional anti-racism law bearing his name was established.
“Today is a very special day and I hope my family is very proud. I was very young and I did not expect that, being so young, I would be in the Maracana, in a special place for me, receiving this award”, said the player of the Real Madrid and Brazil team at the ceremony.
The striker was called up by Brazil to play the Qatar World Cup 2022 received both the Medal of Tiradentes, main award given by Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiroas the Medal of Pedro Ernestthe main one granted by the Sangguniang Bayan of this city.
“Sometimes I wonder if I deserve it. I didn’t expect so many awards and received all that love at the Maracana, where I attended and played a lot of Flamengo matches. It’s exciting,” added the striker.
The soccer player’s decision to directly confront fans who made racist insults at him during a match between real Madrid and the Valencia in the Spanish League inspired a law against racism in stadiums that will go into effect this Wednesday in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
The law, written by a leftist representative Professor Josimar and authorized by the governor claudio castroprovides for matches to be automatically suspended when racist insults are recorded and even permanently if discrimination continues.
The so-called ‘Vini Jr Law’ also sets the Protocol to Combat Racism, which guides any citizen on how to report racist behavior to any authority in a stadium. In addition to medals, the Municipal Council also awarded the title of footballer ‘Citizen of Carioca’.
At the event, the Real Madrid striker also left his footprints etched on Maracana Walk of Fame, the biggest football temple in Brazil and where the stars want to be Pelé, Garrincha, Rivelino and Ronaldo.
“It is an honor to give this award to a footballer who is an idol of Brazilian football, Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro. In addition to bringing all the successes of his football career, Vinicius has also become a symbol of the fight against racism,” said the regional secretary of Sports of Rio de Janeiro, Raphael Picciani.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
