An all-black women's team won the 4X400m relay for Italy at the Mediterranean Games on Sunday, sparking a political row.
The centre-left Democratic Party (PD) hailed the victory of Nigerian-Italians Maria Benedicta Chigbolu and Ayomide Folorunso, Sudanese-Italian Raphaela Lukudo and Cuban-Italian Libania Grenot, with former leader Matteo Renzi tweeting "this is a win for an Italy without fear".
Former Lower House Speaker laura Boldrini, a member of the leftwing Free and Equal (LeU) party, tweeted "(they are) extraordinary athletes who win and keep our country's name aloft outside the national confines.
"Come on girls, keep going lie that," said Boldrini, a hate figure for extreme rightists because of her liberal and pro-migrant stances.
Left-leaning anti-mafia writer Roberto Saviano, who has also incurred the ire of rightist nationalists with pro-migrant positions, also hailed the quartet's victory.
"Thanks to Libania Grenot, Maria Benedicta Chigbolu, Ayomide Folorunso and Raphaela Lukudo," he tweeted.
"Their smiles are the response to the racist Italy of the (anti-migrant) League (party). The multicultural Italy born from the Republican dream must not be stopped".
Farm Minister Gianmarco Centinaio, of the League, on the other hand said "the PD and Saviano only celebrate athletes of colour, they are the real racists".
Rightist nationalist Brothers of Italy (FdI) leader Giorgia Meloni said "the radical chic are exploiting this case to push their agenda".
But League leader and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini hailed the win, saying the athletes had been "bravissime!" "It was a great win, I'd like to meet them and embrace them," he said, adding that they were not part of the "clandestine" immigrants causing social tensions but citizens who "help our country grow". Salvini said "like everyone has understood, the problem is the presence of hundreds of thousands of clandestine immigrants who are not fleeing war and who are bringing war into our homes - certainly not boys and girls who, no matter what their skin colour is, contribute to our country's growth.
"My applause, girls".
Salvini said " we won 150 medals and my applause goes to all, black and white, who won with the Italian jersey.
"There only remain a few wretched leftwingers who distinguish between human beings on the basis of their skin colour".
Grenot told ANSA: "I'm proud of being Italian, I'm 100% Italian, and it is always an honour to raise the tricolour and make it flutter". "But I don't talk about politics; as for Salvini I won't rule out anything: if he wants to meet me OK but only after the Europeans in Berlin.
"Now I just have to train".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
