Comments on: When Pakistanis and Indians cheered for the same team http://kafila.org/2009/06/30/when-pakistanis-and-indians-cheered-for-the-same-team/ media | politics | dissent Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:48:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: suresh http://kafila.org/2009/06/30/when-pakistanis-and-indians-cheered-for-the-same-team/#comment-6616 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:19:46 +0000 http://kafila.org/?p=2952#comment-6616 Not only is Prakash Amritraj not Hindu (as krishashok notes); he isn’t even Indian, if citizenship is what we’re talking about. Prakash plays in the Davis Cup for India but is an American citizen. Apparently, our Sports Ministry is rethinking participation rules; see

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/sports-ministry-to-re-think-on-participation-rules-lead_100135400.html

It’s important to note that most (all?) international sports bodies including the International Olympic Association, FIFA, FIH etc. are private organisations who have their own participation rules which are not the same as citizenship. Otherwise, how can the UK have four distinct teams participating in International Football: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

The International Cricket Council and its affiliate, the BCCI, are both private bodies. When Ajay Jadeja was expelled from all forms of cricket for five years (I think), he took the BCCI to court and part of his argument was that the BCCI was a public body since its teams claimed to represent “India.” The BCCI, in its response stated that its teams represented the BCCI and no one else. Not many noted this, I think.

The coming together of private sports bodies and nationalism – in World Cup Football, World Cup Cricket, the Olympics and so on – is a very curious phenomenon. Perhaps one of you guys would write something on it sometime.

]]> By: AM http://kafila.org/2009/06/30/when-pakistanis-and-indians-cheered-for-the-same-team/#comment-6609 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:18:34 +0000 http://kafila.org/?p=2952#comment-6609 I just hope they keep playing together for many many years to come!

]]> By: krishashok http://kafila.org/2009/06/30/when-pakistanis-and-indians-cheered-for-the-same-team/#comment-6572 Sun, 12 Jul 2009 19:15:53 +0000 http://kafila.org/?p=2952#comment-6572 A trivial point – Prakash Amritraj is not Hindu, but a Christian. Of course it does not detract from your point, but just for factual correctness sake :)

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