Shocking video shows Wexford star Lee Chin suffer racist abuse at charity hurling match

The Faythe Harriers clubman was targeted by an elderly member of the crowd with 69 minutes on the clock after a fracas broke out between the two sets of players at Páirc an nEalaí in Carrick on Suir.

While the on-field incident was innocuous enough, the abuse directed at Chin from the stands was labelled “sickening” by those in earshot, many of whom were young children.

The highly offensive term was forcefully delivered more than once, resulting in several Wexford players breaking away from the on-field scuffle to confront the man. Chief among them was teammate Rory O’Connor.

The incident during the game on Saturday was captured on film by some members of the public who were in the vicinity.

With tensions running extremely high and the Wexford players visibly upset by the abuse directed towards their captain, Wexford Manager Darragh Egan called for the referee to bring the match to a premature end and it was blown up on the spot.

Several Wexford players, including the injured Matthew O’Hanlon made representations to referee John Keenan on what transpired, as it was thought he may have missed the exchange while trying to deal with the fracas on the field.

Wexford boss Egan condemned the incident and confirmed that “our lads were upset by it” but didn’t want to dwell too much on it post-match.

He said "using words like that shouldn’t happen but I felt the players dealt with it very well.”

Egan also expressed his major disappointment that the incident had marred the occasion, a charity game organised by the Carrick Swans in aid of local man Ryan O’Dwyer who suffered life-changing injuries in a car crash last July.

Chairman of Wexford GAA Micheál Martin said that he was “disappointed” by the incident and that a “full investigation is ongoing”.

"I’ve been liaising with the Chairman of Tipperary GAA and the Carrick Swans, who organised the event,” he said. “As far as we’re aware, the person involved is not a member of their club.

"Tipperary GAA have assured me that they have commenced a full investigation into this incident and we are going to work with them on this matter.

In a subsequent statement, Tipperary GAA stated that the person involved is “not connected to either Tipperary GAA or the Carrick Swan club”.

It continued that “Tipperary GAA wish to state quite clearly that this kind of behaviour is totally unacceptable and has absolutely no place at our games or in society.

"Tipperary GAA, along with the senior hurling management, players and the Carrick Swan GAA Club do not condone this type of behaviour and wish to distance ourselves from the comments made.

"Both Tipperary and Wexford GAA County Boards have been in contact with each other in relation to this incident and are fully committed to having it fully investigated.”

Sadly, this is not the first time that Chin has had to deal with racist abuse. The former All-Star, whose father Voon left Malaysia for Wexford at 20 years old, has spoken out about suffering racist jibes both on and off the pitch in the past.

In an interview with Off the Ball a couple of years back, Lee also spoke about how his father still suffers racial abuse in his hometown.

"My father would still be out having a few drinks and something could be said to him," he said. "He could just walk down the street and something could be said to him. And he'd often tell me about it.”