PHOTO: SVT Play
Bengt “Bengan” Johansson was celebrated at the Sports Gala after he passed away in the spring of 2022.
In the tribute, a picture appeared of the dying handball legend squinting his eyes – something that has now been met with criticism.
– It is clear that it is unfortunate, says Johanna Bäckström Lerneby, head of news and responsible publisher at SVT, to Aftonbladet.
On May 8, 2022, the handball legend passed away Bengt “Bengan” Johansson out of time. And during the Sports Gala on Monday evening, he was honored, along with many other of our sports heroes, with a commemorative portrait.
“Conjures a package”
The portrait of “Bengan” ended with an image where he slants his eyes with the help of his fingers. The photograph is from the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1995 when Johansson was the national team captain for the Swedish handball team. The image of “Bengan” has received Tobias Hubinetteresearcher and teacher at Karlstad University, to react.
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He believes that it is not surprising that the image is in the archives, but that it is problematic that the Sports Gala has chosen to highlight it in 2023.
– It is one thing to imitate how animals move. Or how certain professional groups behave. Men can imitate the way women walk and vice versa. But in this case, the pose is linked to classic racial thinking, it evokes a whole package about Southeast Asians as something we should laugh at, says Hübinette to Aftonbladet.
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SVT’s answer
Sweden’s Television admits that the image was unfortunate.
– I can’t imagine that they deliberately wanted to offend anyone, but it is clear that it is still unfortunate. We always want to show respectful images as best we can, says Johanna Bäckström Lerneby who is head of news and responsible publisher at SVT.
The article continues after the picture.
At the same time, it is not SVT that produces the gala or selects which images are to be shown.
– I cannot answer in detail, but we have not intended to do anything other than draw attention to and honor “Bengan’s” memory and legacy. If you look at the feature, there was a lot of material on him, so I guess that particular image would be perceived as him being a happy gaffer, says the gala’s CEO Stephan Rimer while he also emphasizes that the picture turned out to be unfortunate.
– We should have been more attentive, he says.
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