‘I received an apology from the man. I felt sorry for him’ – how Lee Chin helped fan who racially abused him

Lee Chin shines like a beacon on the pitch every time he togs out for the Wexford hurlers, but he stands for so much more outside the white lines.

It’s 12 months since racial abuse thrown at Chin by an opposition supporter forced the abandonment of a charity match against Tipperary in Carrick-on-Suir and it’s only now that he feels comfortable enough to talk about the unsavoury incident for the first time.

That’s not because of the effect it had on him, however, but more down to the widespread backlash the perpetrator received and how Chin “felt sorry for him” in the aftermath.

“There probably was a time I was going to talk about it, but there’s probably never a right or wrong time either, and last year, I just kind of let it flow over me because it was just a time that I wanted to let it slide for the minute,” Chin said at the recent Leinster SHC launch.

“It’s not something that I tend to have that attitude towards, I know it’s a very serious subject. It’s not that I tend to stay away from it because it creates too much fuss, it’s not that at all, but at the time, it just wasn’t right.

“I was conscious at the time as well that the guy it happened with was going through an awful time as well. Obviously, with what he said, he was getting heat from it too and I just didn’t think it would have helped with me coming out and having a go everywhere as well.”

Considering he was the one sinned against, that’s a remarkable level of empathy for the Wexford skipper to exhibit.

“I was quite conscious of him. I genuinely was, even my family were. We would be that way inclined at home and we were conscious of his feelings and how things can end up for him,” the Faythe Harriers forward added.

“I received an apology from the man himself and we’ve exchanged phone calls since to talk about it. I remember the phone call I had with him and he was very sorrowful and couldn’t apologise more.

“We had good conversations and I left the phone call wishing him well and letting him know I had no hard feelings towards him. Things like that, I hope, were helpful towards him.

“Look, there was a part of me at the time that felt sorry for him as well, he has a family of his own and what happened was unfortunate, but sometimes things are said in the heat of the moment and they’re not meant with any great malice.

“I had sympathy for him and his family at the time and still do, but I think he’s very sorry for what happened on the day and we did have conversations since and things are smooth, and I hope he’s doing well.”

The 31-year-old shouldn’t have to, but he takes such instances in his stride where possible and offers support to others who have been on the end of racial abuse, should they need it.

“Obviously, it’s not something you think about daily, but when it happens, it’s disappointing to hear. Those things are disappointing to hear, but it’s not something that I can control,” the All-Star attacker said.

“Speaking about it does help and there’s probably a lot of other people out there that experience it a lot more than I do. And then there are probably people out there who don’t experience it at all. You have to try and be there for the people that maybe are experiencing it and maybe don’t know what to do.

“I’d be open to anybody if they were in a place in their life where they felt they needed that support. I’d absolutely be there for them if they wanted to chat about it. I’m not sure if I’ve experienced it all, but I’ve experienced some level of it to some degree.

“When I was younger, I would have been in that frame of mind at times where I was seeking support myself, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve dealt with it a lot better. My reactions to it are a lot better. How I suffer from it is much better.

“But some people just mightn’t be at that stage of their life yet and mightn’t be able to deal with it. I’d be there as an element of support if anyone ever needed it, of course.”

Such courage and leadership are his calling card in purple and gold also and Chin will be the main man again as Wexford commence their Leinster SHC round-robin campaign on Sunday with a blockbuster tie against Dublin.

Injuries have been a hindrance in recent years – most of them stemming back to a grade two PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) tear he picked up in the Super 11s New York Classic of 2019 before opting to avoid surgery on the injury.

Full reconstruction of the knee was mooted, but that has the potential to be career-ending and a by-product of going down the rehabilitation route has been some muscle injuries, with his hamstring often feeling the brunt, although he is mad for the road with the Dubs coming to Chadwick’s Wexford Park.

Chin, a sales rep for Clearwater Construction (who erect artificial pitches around the country, with the current downpours making his ‘sell’ a lot easier) is hoping Keith Rossiter’s side can break back into the top three in Leinster and he’d love nothing more than to lead Wexford up the Hogan Stand steps once again after their 2019 Bob O’Keeffe Cup success.

“Anyone that’s here, their ambition is to be in a Leinster final. They want some silverware. Obviously, we were lucky enough to be there in 2019. They are the best days. You want to be hurling on the biggest days where you have an opportunity to win some silverware.

“Yeah, of course, the goal would be to try and get back there and compete. At the end of the day, you are here because you want to win. Are we capable of doing that? I believe so. Look, it takes a lot of consistency, a lot of work and a bit of luck along the way, too.

“Hopefully, we can get off to a good start in the championship, and if you get off to a good start, you might gather a bit of momentum and confidence along the way, and hopefully, you will be there at the end of it.”

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