No racism in Sochi, mayor insists after racism row at parade

By AP
Published

SOCHI, Russia (AP) The mayor of the Russian city of Sochi's has promised football fans there is no racism in the 2018 World Cup host city after FIFA denounced a parade featuring people in blackface.

The procession in the Black Sea resort featured costumes of the Confederations Cup participants ahead of the eight-team World Cup warm-up event.

One person was pictured wearing an afro-style wig and bananas on a string, while the other was wearing a Cameroon jersey and a headdress while holding a drum.

Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov accepts ''we need to inform the residents of the city about what is unpleasant for different ethnicities.''

But speaking through a translator, Pakhomov maintained that ''there is no racism in Sochi because this is a city where many ethnicities live.''