Silva, who competed at two Olympic Games and won two Pan American Games medals in taekwondo, discussed the issue while at the Paralympic Awards in Brazil, as reported by Surto Olimpico.

Silva used his speech to condemn two recent cases of racism in the sporting arena, with one when basketball player Yago Dos Santos was called "a monkey" by a spectator during a EuroCup match between Ratiopharm Ulm and Spanish team Joventut Badalona, at Badalona’s home court.

He also highlighted multiple incidents of racist abuse against Brazilian footballer Vinicius Jnr, who has been targeted while playing for Spanish side Real Madrid.    

"In Spain, citrate is already old and is becoming more and more latent," said Silva.

"Yago was yet another victim of the fans.

"First, we have to understand that the Spanish Government needs to have a policy aimed at combating racism, because we have to be punishing those who commit violence and not those who suffer it."

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva passed a law earlier this year increasing penalties against those who committed racist behaviour, meaning sanctions can now include a prison sentence of between two and five years.

"Brazil is already creating, within this new management, a diversity folder within the Ministry of Sport, which will deal with this issue," said Silva.

"This topic will not be treated in a shallow way.

"Racism kills and therefore has to be treated with the same weight."

During his taekwondo career Silva finished fourth at Athens 2004 and fifth at London 2012 during his two Olympic appearances.

Silva also won two Pan American Games medals - a gold at Rio de Janeiro in 2007 and a bronze at Santo Domingo in 2003, both in the under-68 kilograms category.