Galactic_Soap
School Boy/Girl Cricketer
As a South African with Sri Lankan blood lines living in Sydney you can imagine my dinner is as eclectic as my taste in music, the one thing I do not have a taste for is racism, and alas this is the one thing that has prevented me from barracking for Australia in cricket.
The first cricket match I went to in Australia was in 1998, Sri Lanka vs Australia at the SCG. Great game, Sri Lanka chalked up 270 odd, Gilchrist exploded and the game was over pretty quickly.
During the game I sat within the Sri Lankan contingent of the crowd, on that day I copped more racial taunts than I had ever received in South Africa (Please note my father attended the one day game in Johannesburg on Sri Lanka’s rebel tour, in the midst of apartheid ravaged South Africa, and he said he never heard a single racial taunt at the game) and I’ve watched a fair few games back home.
I went to the India versus Australia new years test, same thing, racism. Sri Lanka versus Australia where Jayasuria and Attapatu pilled on the runs in Sydney, racism. In fact the only game I’ve seen where I haven’t seen, heard, or been subjected to racism in Australia is, wait for it, South Africa versus New Zealand at the SCG.
People then have the audacity to sit back and ask me why I don’t barrack for Australia. I’m sick and tired of the first line of defence being racial vilification.
I’ve seen older south east Asians, people who are actually second generation Australian be subjected to racism, all for what? Having more pigmentation than the next person, if anything it is the racists who lack something.
The straw that broke the camels back has to be what the South African team are going through at the moment. The pain and the wounds that are being opened up by this ignorant, and arrogant minority is ridiculous. These are people with memories of apartheid fresh in their minds, its just not good enough Australia!
Cricket Australia have a responsibility to the world, the fans, immigrant Australians, and above all to the game to stamp this trash out, I’m very, very disappointed, and alas the problem is not limited to the cricket grounds around Australia, it extends to the streets, schools and suburbs too. SHAME ON YOU!
This is a plea to the non racial cricket loving Australian, of which they are many, I am aware this is a minority. Stand and be counted next time you hear, see or are aware of this dispicable behaviour, don't let the world judge you, because in life, as in cricket, people intepret perception as reality.
Regards,
Soapy
The first cricket match I went to in Australia was in 1998, Sri Lanka vs Australia at the SCG. Great game, Sri Lanka chalked up 270 odd, Gilchrist exploded and the game was over pretty quickly.
During the game I sat within the Sri Lankan contingent of the crowd, on that day I copped more racial taunts than I had ever received in South Africa (Please note my father attended the one day game in Johannesburg on Sri Lanka’s rebel tour, in the midst of apartheid ravaged South Africa, and he said he never heard a single racial taunt at the game) and I’ve watched a fair few games back home.
I went to the India versus Australia new years test, same thing, racism. Sri Lanka versus Australia where Jayasuria and Attapatu pilled on the runs in Sydney, racism. In fact the only game I’ve seen where I haven’t seen, heard, or been subjected to racism in Australia is, wait for it, South Africa versus New Zealand at the SCG.
People then have the audacity to sit back and ask me why I don’t barrack for Australia. I’m sick and tired of the first line of defence being racial vilification.
I’ve seen older south east Asians, people who are actually second generation Australian be subjected to racism, all for what? Having more pigmentation than the next person, if anything it is the racists who lack something.
The straw that broke the camels back has to be what the South African team are going through at the moment. The pain and the wounds that are being opened up by this ignorant, and arrogant minority is ridiculous. These are people with memories of apartheid fresh in their minds, its just not good enough Australia!
Cricket Australia have a responsibility to the world, the fans, immigrant Australians, and above all to the game to stamp this trash out, I’m very, very disappointed, and alas the problem is not limited to the cricket grounds around Australia, it extends to the streets, schools and suburbs too. SHAME ON YOU!
This is a plea to the non racial cricket loving Australian, of which they are many, I am aware this is a minority. Stand and be counted next time you hear, see or are aware of this dispicable behaviour, don't let the world judge you, because in life, as in cricket, people intepret perception as reality.
Regards,
Soapy