LONDON: Greg Clarke has resigned as English Football Association chairman hours after referring to "colored footballers" during questions from members of parliament on Tuesday. The 63-year-old was widely criticized after making a series of inappropriate comments while taking questions from members of the Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) select committee.

Clarke was forced to apologize for using the term "colored" in reference to black footballers on Tuesday - prompting a senior lawmaker to question the body's commitment to diversity. Clarke was giving evidence to the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee (DCMS) on the future of English football. The 63-year-old, who is a vice-president of world governing body FIFA, also attracted criticism for suggesting the lack of professional players in England from a South Asian background was due to "different career interests", comparing the situation to the IT department at the FA.

Clarke also described being gay as a "life choice" when quizzed over the lack of openly gay male players in England and said that young girls were often put off playing the game because they did not want to be hit hard by footballs. In a statement the FA staid: "Greg Clarke is deeply apologetic for the language he used to reference members of the ethnic minority community during the select committee hearing today. "He acknowledged that using the term 'colored' is not appropriate and wholeheartedly apologized during the hearing." However, Conservative MP Julian Knight, who chairs the DCMS committee, questioned the FA's record on the matter.

"It's right that Greg Clarke apologized before the committee," he tweeted. "However, this isn't the first time that the @FA has come to grief over these issues. It makes us question their commitment to diversity." When asked by another member of the committee, Kevin Brennan, about whether he wished to withdraw the use of the word "colored" in one of his earlier answers, Clarke apologized and said the American use of the phrase "people of color" was the reason for his mistake. Anti-discrimination organization Kick It Out accused Clarke of peddling "lazy racist stereotypes".

Sanjay Bhandari, Kick It Out executive chair, said: "His use of outdated language to describe Black and Asian people as 'coloured' is from decades ago and should remain consigned to the dustbin of history. "Being gay is not a 'life choice' as he claimed too. The casual sexism of saying 'girls' do not like balls hit at them hard, is staggering from anyone, let alone the leader of our national game. It is completely unacceptable.

"I was particularly concerned by the use of lazy racist stereotypes about South Asians and their supposed career preferences. It reflects similar lazy stereotypes I have heard has been spouted at club academy level. "That kind of attitude may well partially explain why South Asians are statistically the most under-represented ethnic minority on the pitch." On Monday, the FA gave an update on its three-year equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, launched in 2018. "In Pursuit of Progress" aims to promote equality and increase the diversity of those playing, officiating, coaching, leading and governing English football.

Anton Ferdinand, who was at the centre of a racism storm during his career when he suffered abuse from former England and Chelsea captain John Terry, said Clarke's reference was "unacceptable". Terry was cleared of a criminal charge of racial abuse of Ferdinand during a match in 2011, but he was subsequently banned and fined by the FA. Ferdinand tweeted: "I appreciate that the @FA are doing some good work with their diversity campaign but it's important the chairman Greg Clarke knows using the term 'colored footballers' to reference people of ethnicity is unacceptable!!!! Clearly education is needed at all levels."- Agencies