By Nosrat Hosseini

 Melbourne - Australia may be sporting mad, but one group of Australians is not getting selected for the team.

Migrants and refugees are not given the opportunity to fully participate in sporting activity in this country and the nation could be missing out as a result.  The notion of fair play is not confined to the playing fields of exclusive Anglo Saxon private schools.  Other cultures also hero worship true sportsmen, who demonstrate that winning is not always the object of the game.

  
Take the late Gholamreza Takhti, the most famous wrestler in Iranian history as an example. What set him apart from his counterparts was his chivalrous behaviour and the degree of sportsmanship he exhibited.

In 1961, a terrible earthquake devastated western Iran killing 45,000. Takhti was deeply affected by this and embarked on a mission calling people to action. He asked people to assist the victims of this earthquake and was presented with money and other personal possessions by thousands of people who were deeply touched by his gesture. Many other champions followed his lead but their efforts were brought to a halt by government officials.

On another occasion, Takhti found out that his opponent, Russian wrestler Alexander Medved had an injured right leg.  But he didn't try to damage it further and instead tried to catch his opponent's other good leg.

Gholamreza Takhti continues to symbolise the essence of sports to the Iranian people and is remembered as the most heroic and honourable athlete in Iran’s history.

In the former USSR and former Eastern Bloc countries, sporting opportunities were widespread while facilities were accessible to the community. Students were tested at their school. If it were detected that a particular student possessed great sporting abilities and had potential, they would then focus on strengthening the skills of that individual. This was a way in which the communist countries invested in the future of their nation.

Sport is a difficult pastime to finance. The cost is difficult for some families to bear. This unfortunately means those with the potential to succeed in the field are denied the opportunity because of their socio-economic background and lack of resources and support. It should be measured by one’s potential and capabilities, not their finances as this discriminates against the less wealthy.

Newly arrived migrants and refugees should be encouraged to take up sporting activities and be provided with the opportunity to do so. Most Olympic events, like swimming, volleyball and rowing are dominated by Anglo Saxons. There are no athletes that newly arrived migrants, refugees and recent citizens can identify with. The sad reality is that no matter how long people of a culturally and linguistically diverse background live here, they will never fully feel as though they are a part of the social fabric.

In my experience, Canadians and Americans that I have met have been surprised that I identify as being Australian when asked about my nationality. They said that I did not fit the stereotypical image of an Australian, of a thong wearing, beer drinking, sausage grilling young blonde with blue eyes. They expected the epitome of what is considered Australian – Crocodile Dundee complete with an accent reflective of the outback where we all apparently live among  the kangaroos. It is important for us to dispel such myths. We can do so through sporting events like the Olympics  which are an opportunity to showcase the talents of Australian born athletes as well as ‘naturalised’ Australian athletes.

If Australia is concerned with the future of sport, the government should create more opportunities for students to participate in sporting activities, especially former migrants, refugees and those who are disadvantaged by their socio-economic background and cannot afford it and promote it wholeheartedly.