Bahia: Social issues this Brazilian football club is tackling is an inspiration to all

Esporte Clube Bahia may t be most well-kwn team in Brazil's Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, but Salvador-based club are starting to grab headlines. When Bahia players walked on to pitch for ir game against Ceara last month, fans in stadium wondered what was different in kit that Bahia players wore on day. On closer observation, Bahia red and blue kit appeared to have splotches of black on neck, armpits and hem region. 

While black splotches may have looked odd at first, significance of spots would be understood after an explanation from Bahia President Guilherme Bellintani. Bellinatni pointed out that for last month or so, tons of thick crude oil had been washing up on beaches in rast of Brazil. Brazilian government mselves did little to provide answers to questions surrounding washed-up oil polluting beaches and waters of Brazil. Bahia as a club, refore, decided to draw attention to oil spill by speaking up and making a statement on pitch in front of myriad spectators in stadium.   

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Fans of Bahia, however, were t too surprised. Over last couple of years, club as a whole has been drawing attention to issues surrounding Brazil as a nation. Issues such as racism, LGBTQ rights, demarcation of indigeus lands and treatment of female fans in football stadiums have been at centre of ir socially engd campaigns of late. club have also mand to reduce ticket prices while getting rid of debt that was crippling club. 

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Bahia tackling social issues

Bahia have been kwn as a fan-centric and socially engd club for some time w. When club was "re-founded", as current club president Guilherme Bellintani puts it, season-ticket holders were ones who voted to bring in Bellintani. Last vember, during Black Consciousness Month, club's kit featured names of 20 historic black Brazilian leaders on ir shirts. On Mor's Day, Bahia players walked on to pitch holding posters of missing children and also urged anyone with information regarding missing children to come forward. se are just two instances of social issues taken up by club in recent years. 

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Football has been kwn as a way of connecting people. By taking up social issues such as racism and LGBTQ rights, Bahia have taken a huge step towards uniting more marginalized section of society in Brazil. As a result, Bahia have become most progressive football club in Brazil. 

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