The announcement was surprising. Last week, Paul Pogba announced big news: he became the ambassador and shareholder of Al Haboob Camel Racing Team, a Saudi team engaged in camel racing. A surprising and somewhat funny choice, which however did not make the animal rights association PETA laugh.
In a public letter addressed to the Monegasque midfielder, the NGO wished to “draw (its) attention to the particularly cruel realities hidden behind this industry” of camel racing. She mentions in particular the “suffering of sensitive animals” who “endure a daily life very far from the traditional or glamorous image that we can sometimes give of them”.
“Torn early from their mothers or domesticated too early, young camels are then subjected to coercive training methods intended to make them docile and efficient,” confides Isabelle Goetz, public relations manager for PETA. They endure frequent injuries: overworked joints, running accidents, infections, dehydration, constant stress. Their life is punctuated by constraint, and their career often ends with abandonment, sale or death when they no longer bring in anything. »
The association has even already imagined an alternative: hobby horsing, a discipline where participants ride horse-headed sticks to take part in events. “Spectacular, creative, and above all: no camels, no horses, no animals are involved. This is an investment that would perfectly combine originality and respect for life,” smiles Isabelle Goetz. A call to which Paul Pogba has not yet responded.
