Stephen VasciannieRUSHDEN AND Diamonds is a peculiarly named football club, but it is going places. Their team reached the play-offs but failed to gain promotion to Division 2 of the English League: this is remarkable though, because up to last year, they were not even in Division 3 (the lowest league category). But though their meteoric rise is significant in itself, it is of special interest to Jamaican sports fans because both Onandi Lowe and Paul Hall, Jamaican national players, are Rushdenian Diamonites (to coin a phrase).
Last weekend, in the course of a particularly close match, Lowe sent a through ball to Hall, who shifted to the right and deftly beat the opposing goalkeeper. The goal was on every British television. As part of his celebratory rock, Hall could clearly be seen shouting something about haberdashery. Just why he should be thinking about "cloth" after scoring was probably beyond the comprehension of most viewers; but his approaching comrade Lowe fully understood exactly what was being said. Score one fi Jamrock, I suppose.
The accented, but clear, celebratory shouts coming from "Pall Haul" reminded me of a little noticed episode in the Premier League. Earlier this year, as the Arsenal weaponry was being oiled for success, Thierry Henry, flying as usual with the wings of Pegasus on his boots, scored one of his delicate goals, to reinforce his team's position in the League. As part of his celebratory run, Henry lifted his jersey and revealed an undershirt which stated boldly: "This one is for the West Indies." At about that time our cricket fortunes were rather wobbly, as they tend to be these days; so, it was heartening to know that at least one star in exile had the cricketers on his mind.
But Henry is a part of the French national football team and it must be said, this team, les bleus, is more politically sensitive and politically sensible than most sporting groups in the world today. Never mind the rhetoric, these players walk the walk. At the last World Cup, at least eight of their strongest players were either from ethnic minorities or were born outside the boundaries of territorial France. The team, and its victory, represented the triumph of anti-racism, fraternity and merit.
Now, once again, with its multi-ethnic core, the French football team is leading the way. Late last week, various members of the team took a stand. They indicated that if Jean-Marie Le Pen had won the French Presidency, they would have refused to play in the World Cup finals for France. And they made these statements before the Presidential Election was known, so no one should doubt the sincerity of their intentions.
Robert Pires, a French and Arsenal star struck down by injury, spoke with clarity last Thursday to Sky Sports: "As players, I can say we don't want to be governed by the extreme right. It'd be an impossibility to play. We play for France because we're French, but the team's roots are from everywhere so if France is governed by the extreme right it makes it an impossibility to play for your country."
Other players have been equally clear. On the election, Zinadine Zidane, whom many will remember as the towering figure in the 1998 World Cup finals, had this to say: "People must vote. But above all they must think of the consequences that could arise if they vote for a party which does not correspond to French values." Zidane is from Marseilles of Algerian parents. His sentiments are also reflected in comments from Marcel Desailly, a Frenchman born in Ghana: "It is an undeniable fact that (Le Pen's) political party is a fascist party. Their policies may have been tamed a little - he has to adopt this softer stance to get past the French public but in his heart he hasn't changed."
MULTI-ETHNIC STATE
So, these men have drawn the line. It is reminiscent of Richards, Holding and others refusing to play cricket in Apartheid South Africa, despite financial inducements to contrary behaviour. For some things, you just have to say no in order to preserve dignity, pride and self-respect.
In addition, these footballers have also made an important statement about the nature of national identity. For them, France is a multicultural, multi-ethnic State, and they are honoured to represent that State - if, however, France comes to symbolise something else, something racist and intolerant, then, they would publicly dissociate themselves from it. And, they would publicly dissociate themselves from the racist France as a means of fighting it. This is a significant step away from the old-fashioned notion - sometimes still expressed - that sports and politics don't mix. The position of these team members is not pure Fanon (for Fanon would have wanted Zindane to play for Algeria), but it is cosmopolitan and sensitive to political exploitation.
Finally, in cricket, Lara must have breathed a quiet sigh of relief last week. For Inzaman ul Haq no slouch with the bat scored 329 in the first Test between Pakistan and New Zealand at Lahore, before being dismissed by Brooke Walker. Unlike some Australian batsmen who apparently deem it an honour not to pass Don Bradman's highest test score, Inzaman clearly has the famous 375 on his mind.
Commenting on his dismissal Inzaman noted: "Once I reached 300, my target was to break Lara and Hanif Mohammad's records. But I got impatient and threw my hard work down the drain. I should have trusted in the batting abilities of Danish Kaneria (the number 11 batsmen at the other end.)"
You make 329, and yet you talk about throwing hard work down the drain. It takes a certain kind of personality, and a certain determination, to reach that conclusion. Sachin may have been tenderised, at least for a while, in the West Indian sun; but, from all indications, Lara's record is not untouchable. Some words from Lara's bat would be most welcome.
Stephen Vasciannie, a UWI lecturer, is Visiting Fellow at Wolfson College, Cambridge University.
