Little brother Kelvin on subtle racism: ‘Dad always warned us’
partial. Roberts is out.
And Roberts in it.
Both have the same daily experiences of racism in Sweden.
We’ve been working against the wind from the start, says Kelvin Roberts.
Jamina Roberts Sävehof and the Swedish league left.
Then it’s time to say hello to the new Roberts: little brother Kelvin.
He made his handball debut for his club Sävehof last season but didn’t make a huge impression.
But then he made a major breakthrough at the European Under-20 Championship this summer when Sweden reached the semi-finals. Despite the fact that he is a nine-meter player and had to play on edge during the entire tournament, he was named to the EC All-Star Team.
– It was so much fun. He says when Sportbladet meets him between two training sessions at the Partille Arena, especially playing in a position you’ve never played before.
Stay at home in the boys’ room
Were you surprised by the position in the All-Star Team?
– actually yes. Although I felt like I played well, especially in the back.
But you still see yourself as a nine-meter player?
– yes I do. But I want to become a player who can play in many different positions. On the right is the nine too, says Kelvin, who has mainly played the left and middle nines in his career.
Jamina has always been an all-around player. Primarily a left and center nine, but now and then options on both the left wing and the right nine in the championship teams.
What are your other similarities as players?
We are explosive, fast, flexible and good at breakouts. Maybe it comes from my father.
Father James was a sailor from Aruba in the West Indies, who landed in Gothenburg in the early 1970s and became one of Sweden’s leading bodybuilders.
Kelvin, who graduated last spring, still lives at home with his mother, Gunilla, and father, James, at Johnson. He has half-brothers on his father’s side, but other than that it is only him and Jamina who are 13 years older.
What does Jamina mean to you?
– We didn’t talk much about handball, except for last year. It was fun to go with my mom and dad and see all the tournaments I’ve been in. We’ve also been to Hungary and Denmark when she was a professional there. This is a great sister.
I don’t think comparisons are difficult
This summer, Jamina moved to Norway and Champions League champion Vipers Kristiansand with her family – husband Emil Berggren, former sporting director at Sävehof, and two-year-old daughter Lou.
What do you say about her last year?
– It really exploded. You have become one of the best players in the world.
Do you not feel that you are standing in its shadow?
– No not at all. And if so, she worked her way there. But I will (laughs).
Would it be difficult to compare it to her now that you’ve started to realize it?
– No, I don’t want to say that. People talk about having advantages by name and such. But I certainly wouldn’t say that. I think we’ve been working against the wind from the start.
What do you mean by headwind? Racism?
Yes, it is very invisible. But you know it’s there. It’s very hard to relate to her if she’s not there.
Jamina has spoken several times about the subtle racism she encounters in everyday life, including at Sportbladet a few years ago.
– Dad always “warned” us that you should be prepared for this, regardless of whether he was in the field or on the street. I got it right on the football field when I was younger, my parents were standing on the sidelines. In recent years, Kelvin says, friends, or even a father, have heard things people said in the stands that they then told me about.
Back to Handball – What can you improve in your game?
Since I want to play in as many positions as possible, there is a lot I can improve. From the edge, I make a good, lively jump, so I can improve my finishing technique. In defense, you can always improve. In the niometer I would say I want to improve most things, but perhaps above all a jump shot and understanding of the game.
What do you dream of?
Play for the best teams in Europe, the Champions League and the national team, says Kelvin Roberts.
