posted by NanaKrustofski,
Panda spoke about the incident on Zyori's podcast yesterday, 15 March. He explains the context and states that while it is not an excuse, he wanted to give the circumstances and his thoughts in the moment. They then talked about the guidelines from Valve, a player's responsbility and how everyone can improve their behaviour going forward.
Original article from 15. March:
Tournament organiser Beyond The Summit is currently investigating a case surrounding racist remarks by NoPing Esports support player Jose Leonardo 'Pandaboo' Padilla Hernandez.
Panda apparently used the n-word in a pub game, targeted towards Canadian player Andrew 'Jubei' Evelynn.
BTS founder David "Godz" Parker posted on Twitter that they are currently investigating the case, as NoPing Esports are competing in the BTS Pro Series - Americas #5.
I also hope @OGADotaPIT looks into these recent incidents and addresses them as well.
— David Parker | Godz (@BTSGoDz) March 15, 2021
There's no place in the Dota scene for the racism we've seen recently from several SA players competing in the DPC.
According to NoPing Esports' Head Manager Leonardo Manulli, Panda is now banned from participating in the event and he will take over his place for the upcoming matches. Manulli also states that the company does not condone Panda's behaviour and the player is now deeply ashamed and sorry for his remark.
Fomos pegos de surpresa com o ocorrido e passamos o resto da noite conversando a respeito sobre, com ele e toda a equipe, por hora o que posso informar é que o jogador está banido dessa edição da BTS e amanhã devo atuar como standin para finalizar a fase de grupos.#GoNoPing
— Leonardo Manulli (@Manulli2) March 15, 2021
Panda's behaviour comes as a particular surprise to many, as only a few days prior, another player was banned from the same tournament after using the same word in a pub game targeting the same player.
The two incidents also sparked huge discussions in the community on various social media platforms. Fans pointed out that other pro players have used abusive or derogatory words in their matches too, but were not punished. Others also called out Jubei for toxic behaviour in pubs.
If you want to contribute to the discussion in the comments below, make sure you show courtesy and respect towards others.
Photo credit: Valve / LaughingSkyPig
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