Ibrahima Konaté on Teddy Riner’s presidential candidacy, Digi Mart USA News: Asked about Teddy Riner’s candidacy in the French presidential election, France national team defender Ibrahima Konaté said he had not followed the news around the French judoka. He said he had seen an image of Riner in a suit but had not had time to look into it, so he could not give an opinion on the matter.
Konaté then broadened his remarks to the place of athletes in public debate. He said the question is a long one, that some people welcome athletes speaking out and others do not, and that every athlete is a voice and a citizen.
He acknowledged that athletes are in a somewhat privileged position, and that issues often touch them from a distance.
He stressed that athletes reached their position through work and a measure of luck. Without that luck, he said, players could be in the situation of friends or relatives whose daily lives are very difficult, and that is why he believes athletes’ voices matter.
The defender also said athletes should weigh what they say. Although football comes first, he argued that when athletes speak publicly they should understand the subject and avoid saying things that mean nothing or are meant only to please certain people.
