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N-word

Under 15 Irish basketball team called 'outrageous' names in racist online rant

Ask.fm is in the spotlight again.

BASKETBALL IRELAND HAS condemned racist comments made against some of its underage players.

Gardaí have been informed of the post on ask.fm.

According to the Mirror, teenage players were called the n-word and told to ‘F**k off back to your own country’.

Several individual players on the under-15 team were reportedly singled out.

In a statement, Basketball Ireland president Gerard Kelly said: ”In recent days we have become aware of an outrageous message posted anonymously online concerning some of our our underage players.

“Our Secretary General has begun an urgent investigation which involves the site administrators of ask.fm and the Gardaí.

We are determined to unmask the coward or cowards behind this message. We urge anybody with relevant information to contact the secretary general on bobyrne@basketballireland.ie in total confidence.

“We, the members of Basketball Ireland, would like to remind our community that there is no room for discrimination in our sport.

Our children, our talent and our community are the most important things we have in basketball. We cannot let the toxicity of discrimination of any kind or on any level threaten us.

Ask.fm has come under fire in the past due to several instances of cyberbullying.

Two sisters from Donegal, Erin and Shannon Gallagher, were among those to take their own lives as a result of bullying on the site.

Read: Ask.fm is cleaning up its act … with a little help from this Irish expert

Read: What happens on Ask.fm?

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