- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Sport has been a wonderful past-time in Australia for as long as I can remember, and it has been an exhibition of this country’s values and expectations of which people of Australia should obey by, and follow to the letter.
However, this country’s values and expectations have failed to take into account one key ingredient that is necessary for the short and long-term success of any nation in the modern world today, and that is multiculturalism.
This failure to include people of all different races and genders, and give them an equal opportunity to perform their talents, be it on the sporting field, or in any other domain, is just not on anymore. Not from anyone.
As writers, journalists and communicators critiquing them on their performances we should give them the benefit of the doubt.
This failure is clearly apparent in just about every single sport in Australia, but has been particularly well publicised in the game of tennis in Australia for many years now.
Tennis Australia have had a hugely poor record in dealing with players (and the families of players) that have be brought up in traditional eastern and eastern European cultures, particularly with Jelena Dokic and to a less of an extent with Mark Philippoussis.
And it appears that after many years they still haven’t learnt their lesson with the way that they are dealing with Bernard Tomic, and to a lesser extent Nick Kyrgios.
Both Tomic and Kyrgios have been criticised for not exhibiting this country’s values and expectations without ever considering the multicultural aspect to this topic.
Everyone must remember that Tomic and Kyrgios have been brought up in a different type of culture, and that the way they see the values and expectations of Australia is different to what other people may see it. But it doesn’t mean that we have the right to criticise them for what we may see as going against our values and expectations, and engaging in what we think (not myself) is tanking.
Unfortunately, this article was too late for swimming legend Dawn Fraser to read and take note of before she went on air on Today to air her thoughts about Kyrgios and Tomic after originally talking about asthma awareness.
It was also reported by other media outlets, including The Sydney Morning Herald.
“I think it is absolutely disgusting,” Fraser said.
“I am so shocked to think that he [Kyrgios] went out there to play and he tanked … he did all that tanking, it’s terrible.
“[He] should be setting an example for the younger generation of this great country of ours.
“If they [Kyrgios and Tomic] don’t like it, go back to where their fathers or parents came from.
“We don’t need them in this country if they act like that.”
These comments from Fraser are absolutely disgraceful, totally un-Australian, totally unreasonable and purely racist remarks from someone that should know better. But she will never know better, despite any current or future attempts to deny that these comments are in any way racist.
However, what was even worse was the conduct of the hosts of Today, Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson, and their endorsement of Fraser’s racist comments about Kyrgios and Tomic, which has defamed both athletes and their families.
In my view, I think anyone who accuses anyone of tanking has probably tanked themselves at something in their lives, or in their sport if they played a sport at any sort of level. I don’t think Kyrgios, (or Tomic for that matter in the past), have tanked.
It is against my own personal values, and it should be against the values of anyone who is or wants to be in public view, via any sort of media, to say that anyone has tanked, or deliberately lost a match/contest. It is disrespectful to the professional athlete because they are always giving their honest best.
So in finishing my article, my questions to Stefanovic, Wilkinson and Fraser, as well as anyone who has an opinion is: do you think Kyrgios (or Tomic) have tanked in the past? And, if yes, tell me when you have tanked at something in your life (because you have obviously done it as well)?
In summary, Australian sport must embrace multiculturalism.
Whether it’s aces or races, try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp for great odds and a great punting experience. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.