The Swiss, 3×3 star, wanted to make his sexual condition public and denounce the problems he has gone through during his career. “You’re afraid they won’t offer you a contract because of your sexual orientation.”
Lehmann, during a tournament.
“My name is Marco Lehmann. I am 27 years old, I am a professional 3×3 basketball player and I have decided that I will not wait to retire to announce I’m gay“This is how the letter begins in which Lehmann, considered one of the best shooters on the 3×3 basketball circuit, wanted to make his condition public and denounce many of the hardships he has had to go through during his career because of it.
The Swiss opens his heart in an open letter on Player’s Voice, within the official FIBA website. “This is for all those people who no longer want to have a double life, for those who live in a system where they don’t exist. This is for future generations, so they can live and enjoy a sporting life without having to hide. I’m not going to lie, this is for me too, to live without this burden, “says the player, who has led the Swiss team to two appearances in the 3×3 Europe Cup of the new Olympic sport.
Lehmann says he was “not happy” despite all his sporting successes and a brilliant career traveling 20 countries, “living a dream.” Every week when my boyfriend took me to the airport, I went from being the happy gay man in a relationship to an emotionless professional athlete who he didn’t want to talk about his personal life“, he continues in the letter.
His worst moment came in December 2019. “I hit rock bottom. I started crying, cold sweats down my back … and for what? Just by thinking about the next training. I couldn’t bear the thought of changing my personality one more time. ”
So he chose to isolate himself. “I called to say he was sick, I was hoping the panic attack would stop. But no. The mobility restrictions and the competition stop due to the pandemic helped me hide my mental problems from the world of basketball. I always thought my career would end. repeating that of ‘I don’t have a girlfriend because I want to focus on my career‘. But he could no longer, “he acknowledges.
“Being gay in a team sport seems tab. And it has to stop now. There are young players who leave team sport when they discover that they are gay, “he explains while recalling two situations he experienced: a coach with an inappropriate comment to the team asking them to stop playing as ‘nenazas’ and another who heard on a trip on a bus in which they claimed that “homosexuality is a disease. They should kill themselves. Imagine playing with someone like that. ”
Lehmann remembers that they were very complicated moments, he stayed “in shock and couldn’t sleep”, “I was clear that I was going to stop playing but it didn’t last long because I love this sport so much. Was it going to happen to a person who thought he should kill me? Only if it was the last option to win a game.”
He also recalls that once he was close to being honest with his teammates, “explaining everything to them and answering their questions because in the end your private life is something else. But that day I realized that it’s not your teammates who decide your career, it’s your coaches. , your board, the teams that offer you contracts and you’re afraid they won’t offer you one because of your sexual orientation. That prevented me from making my announcement until today … “.
Lehmann says that “the time has come to be happy and to enjoy my career without having to hide or lead a double life and I hope to help other athletes in Switzerland and around the world.” “As of today being Marco Lehmann, a 3×3 basketball player and gay. And if you’ll excuse me, I’m trying to win the World Tour and take Switzerland to the 2024 Olympics.”
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