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If football is the world game, then Australians must not only accept competing against the world’s best, but also be willing to open their arms to the many cultures which enjoy this truly global sport.
Australia’s World Cup draw was either a nightmare or a chance to restore some pride against the giants of the international game, depending on which side of the fence you sit.
But though it may be hard to imagine the Socceroos reprising their heroics of 2006 after being drawn in the same group as Chile, the Netherlands and Spain for next year’s World Cup in Brazil, that doesn’t mean there won’t be interest from all corners of Australia’s multicultural society in how Ange Postecoglou’s team fares.
There are few sports which come close to matching the worldwide obsession with football, however cricket – with its millions of loyal supporters on the Subcontinent – comes close.
So it was interesting to see the official Twitter account of Cricket Australia tweet a photo with the caption “will the real Monty Panesar please stand up?” about the popular English cricketer on Friday morning.
A deleted tweet from @CricketAus lol pic.twitter.com/DGRWdnZU52
— Danny (@R9Rai) December 5, 2013
Born in Luton, Panesar is a patka-wearing Sikh who remains a fan-favourite for his sharp-turning off-breaks, occasionally erratic fielding and trademark bushy beard.
What Cricket Australia thought it would achieve by tweeting a photo of four turban-wearing individuals seemingly dressed as Teletubbies is anyone’s guess, but the social media faux pas offers a starting point for a discussion on Australian perceptions of race.
In an age where taking offence and responding with apocalyptic-level vitriol resembles a competitive online sport, what made anyone at Cricket Australia think that inviting the Twittersphere to scrutinise its attitudes towards cultural diversity was a good idea?
There’ll be those who argue the tweet wasn’t racist in the first place, but it’s hard to see Cricket Australia tweeting something similar about Australian players Usman Khawaja or Fawad Ahmed.
And though it’s hard to quantify the hunch, it strikes me as an interesting coincidence that many of those who proclaim most loudly that Australia is not a racist nation, appear to be both Caucasian and born and raised in Australia.
I know what it’s like to stand out and feel different, because I used to live in a small town in Japan.
And when a nervous, Japanese-speaking police officer picks you out of a large crowd in the street and demands to see your ID card for no other reason than the colour of your skin, you suddenly get a crash course in what it’s like to be a visible minority.
Why is it then, that so many of those seemingly desperate to drive the discussion on race and diversity in Australia are already part of the majority?
Is it because, despite good intentions, Australia is still a largely xenophobic place – one quick to shout down anyone who suggests otherwise and in turn, shut down difficult discussions?
These are important issues because in just over 12 months’ time, Australia will host the Asian Cup.
It’s a fantastic coup for the football community, but it also runs the risk of exposing thousands of Asian visitors to some of the less enlightened attitudes on show in our community.
It also means that Football Federation Australia would itself do well to brush up on some of the cultural differences which exist across the vast Asian Football Confederation.
It’s all well and good endlessly talking up Australia’s multiculturalism, but turning around and serving Asian journalists meat pies and sugary soft drinks – as routinely occurs in press boxes at AFC Champions League games and World Cup qualifiers – suggests the sentiment is more style than substance.
Perhaps it’s easier to turn a blind eye and pretend that racism in Australian simply doesn’t exist.
But that would be to miss the point of hosting a tournament like the Asian Cup, and prove an opportunity ignored to forge a common bond with fellow football fans across the continent.