London 2012: multiculturalism, diversity and the Indian perspective

Abstract

The 2012 London Summer Olympic Games represented a major opportunity for India, both from the point of view of an improved performance of the national team in terms of winning medals as well as enhancing an emotional connection with the Olympics amongst the large Indian Diaspora living in the UK. As Lord Sebastian Coe commentated, both aspects were interlinked: a strong performance by India was crucial for the involvement of the Indian Diaspora in the Olympics. But how did the Indian Diaspora actually react to the Games? Where did its loyalties lie, and how did it embrace the Olympic spectacle? Also, as the Games progressed, they drew further attention to the great multicultural inclusiveness of Great Britain. At the heart of Britain's great Olympic success were the performances of those athletes from multiracial backgrounds, notably the British athlete Jessica Ennis as well as those who had migrated to the UK such as Mo Farah. Britain embraced the success of Ennis and Farah as their own. Will those of Indian origin, and particularly budding sportspeople of the Indian community, take this as a positive sign? Will it spur the community to have greater representation in sports in UK?

Notes

^1. Official Website of the Olympic Movement, http://www.olympic.org.

^2. Ibid.

^3.Hylton and Morpeth, ‘London 2012’.

^4. C. Moreton, ‘Sebastian Coe: Lord of the Flyers’. The Independent, July 27, 2008, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/sebastian-coe-lord-of-the-flyers-878276.html.

^5. B. Majumdar, ‘Indian Athletes Will Feel They're Performing at Home: Sebastian Coe’. The Times of India, July 13, 2012, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/Indian-athletes-will-feel-theyre-performing-at-home-Sebastian-Coe/articleshow/14859641.cms.

^6. C. Moreton, ‘How Jessica Ennis Became the Face of the Olympics’. The Daily Telegraph, August 4, 2012, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/athletics/9452218/London-2012-Olympics-How-Jessica-Ennis-became-the-face-of-the-Olympics.html.

^7. C. Milmo, ‘How Britain's Athletic Hero Escaped the Chaos of Somalia’. The Independent, July 29, 2010, http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/athletics/mo-farah-how-britains-athletics-hero-escaped-the-chaos-of-somalia-2037996.html.

^8. Personal interview with Southall MP Virendra Sharma.

^9. Official Website of the Olympic Movement, http://www.olympic.org.

^10. There is no exact definition of ‘most’ in terms of percentage or proportion.

^11.Burdsey, ‘“One of the Lads?”’

^12.Fletcher, ‘“Who Do ‘They’ Cheer For?”’

^13. Though Hussain is born in Chennai to an Indian father, he is of mixed race as his mother is English.

^14. Fletcher, ‘“Who Do ‘They’ Cheer For?”’

^15. V. Chaudhary, ‘A Question of Support’. The Guardian, May 29, 2001, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2001/may/29/race.world.

^16. D. Briggs, ‘Mahmood Taunted on Day of Triumph’. The Daily Telegraph, August 9, 2006, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/2342765/Mahmood-taunted-on-day-of-triumph.html.

^17. O. Price, ‘Mom's Curries Keep Us at Home’. The Guardian, July 30, 2006, http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2006/jul/30/familyandrelationships.lifeandhealth.

^18. D. Briggs, ‘Mahmood Taunted on Day of Triumph’. The Daily Telegraph, August 9, 2006, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/2342765/Mahmood-taunted-on-day-of-triumph.html.

^19. O. Price, ‘Mom's Curries Keep Us at Home’. The Guardian, July 30, 2006, http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2006/jul/30/familyandrelationships.lifeandhealth.

^20. Fletcher, ‘“Who Do ‘They’ Cheer For?”’

^21. Personal interview with MP from Southall Mr Virendra Sharma.

^22. I. Chadband, ‘London 2012, Day 8: Nothing Can Ever Beat Super Saturday’. The Daily Telegraph, December 28, 2012, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/9764832/London-2012-Olympics-Day-8-nothing-can-ever-beat-Super-Saturday.html.

^23. P. Hayward, ‘Jessica Ennis, Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford Top Bill at London 2012 Olympics on Perfect Night in Perfect Hamony’. The Daily Telegraph, August 6, 2012, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/athletics/9454351/Jessica-Ennis-Mo-Farah-and-Greg-Rutherford-top-bill-at-London-2012-Olympics-on-perfect-night-in-perfect-hamony.html.

^24. See note 11 above.

^25. C. Milmo, ‘Mo Farah Seeks a Peaceful Haven as He Prepares for Second Date with Olympic Destiny’. The Independent, August 10, 2012, http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/news/mo-farah-seeks-a-peaceful-haven-as-he-prepares-for-second-date-with-olympic-destiny-8031603.html.

^26. D. Smith, ‘Mo Farah's Family Cheers Him on from Somaliland Village’. The Guardian, August 10, 2012, http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/10/mo-farah-mother-somaliland.

^27. I. Chadband, ‘London 2012, Day 8: Nothing Can Ever Beat Super Saturday’. The Daily Telegraph, December 28, 2012, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/9764832/London-2012-Olympics-Day-8-nothing-can-ever-beat-Super-Saturday.html.

^28. S. Hart, ‘Mo Farah Storms to 5000 m Victory to Achieve Double Distance Gold at London 2012 Olympics’. The Daily Telegraph, August 12, 2012, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/athletics/9469636/Mo-Farah-storms-to-5000m-victory-to-achieve-double-distance-gold-at-London-2012-Olympics.html.

^29. H. Muir and Y. Adegoke, ‘Were the Riots About Race’. The Guardian, December 8, 2011, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/08/were-the-riots-about-race.

^30. Fletcher, ‘“Who Do ‘They’ Cheer For?”’

^31. Burdsey, ‘“One of the Lads?”

^32. Chopra's last full season in the top-flight of English football was in 2007–2008 after which he has been playing in the Championship.

^33. ‘London 2012: Neil Taylor’. The Daily Telegraph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/Team-GB/competitors/9424324/Neil-Taylor-Team-GB-London-2012-Olympics.html.

^34. M. Atherton, ‘Time to End Depressing Culture of Failure Amongst British Asian Players’. The Times, February 25, 2010, http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/columnists/mikeatherton/article144330.ece.

^35.Wagg, ‘“To Be an Englishman”’.

^36. Personal interview with Southall MP Virendra Sharma.