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Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Politics
Al Jazeera Staff

‘They’re going to come at you’: Paola Egonu on racism and volleyball

Paola Egonu Italy
Egonu stepped back from the Italian national team in 2022 over racist abuse on social media [File: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters]

In Italy, volleyball player Paola Egonu is a household name; at just 22 she carried the Olympic Flag at the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony and holds the women’s world record for spike speed.

In an interview with Al Jazeera’s Generation Sport, the 24-year-old revealed the challenges she faced as the daughter of immigrants in Italy, and the reasons she decided to step back from the Italian national team in 2022.

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