SquashTalk> Columns> The Spin > What's in a country? [last update was 20-mar-01 ]

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Musical Chairs: The Manipulation of Nationalism for personal gain achael Grinham smothers Nicol David

REVOLVING NATIONALITIES © 2001 SquashTalk.com
by Ron Beck (Ron Beck is the editor of SquashTalk and spent five years on the WPSA pro tour)

Pro Squash players are "changing nationality" at an alarming rate. Perhaps they don't see the transparency of their personal motives exhibited in their shifting loyalties.

WHO'S SCOTTISH?
Peter Nicol, as Scottish as they come, has been training in England for some time with coach Neil Harvey. Now he is apparently thinking about declaring himself English. Nicol might head an England Team in future Squash international team events. (reported in SquashNow this evening) That would break up a potentially devastating Scottish Team: Peter Nicol, Martin Heath, and Johnny White. I say potentially, because they haven't played together -- Nicol and Heath refused to appear as part of the Scottish team at the World's in Egypt last year. But wait... Johnny White?

Johnny White grew up in Australia and was Australian until recently. Now he is officially Scottish, claimed recently on account of his father's Nationality. That let him collect Scottish Sport lottery money. He lived and trained in Holland, though. Now he's moved to England in search of an improved training regimen.

I'M NOT SOUTH AFRICAN
It's harder to critique somone who renounces their South African Nationalism - hosts of South African's have moved to locations such as the USA, Holland, Israel, and England for varied reasons. But Natalie Grainger apparently switched nationality from South Africa to England also to claim lottery money... OK... but wait - she presently lives in St. Louis, Missouri USA.

THE AMSTERDAM MELTING POT
Joe Kneipp has lived and played out of Amsterdam for several years, though still gets listed as an Australian player. Other top players training in Holland for significant parts the year have included Anthony Hill and Jonathon Power to name a few. Malaysian star Nicol David is headed to Amsterdam to train with Liz Irving while Ong Beng Hee trains with Neil Harvey in England.

PAKISTAN'S TALENT DRAIN
Pakistani stars have left Peshawar for a long time - Hashim to the USA, Mo in a famous secret 2 AM escape to Boston after becoming world champion, Roshan and Azam to the UK. Anyone who knows the Pakistani players also knows that they hold forever a strong loyalty to Pakistan, wherever they are.

Amjad's departure to Singapore, though, claiming lack of support in Pakistan was more confusing. Pakistan can't even field one strong team right now, leaving us all nostalgic for the days when they could field two teams, the second of which could be second best in the world!

INTRIGUE DOWN UNDER
Meanwhile, Carol Owens refused to play for Australia last summer in the world championships - almost certainly depriving Australia the crown. The word is, she stayed off the team in anticipation of possibly shifting National allegiance to New Zealand... (and who would play #1, Leilani or Carol?).

NAFTA SQUASH
North America's not clean either -- though Jonathon Power and Graham Ryding will probably always loyally play for Canada, why did Michael Blumberg play for the USA team in the World Juniors last year while Jennifer Blumberg played for Canada in the Pan Am Games a few weeks later?

SO WHAT NOW?
This revolving country activity is bad for the sport of squash - it diminishes the stature of the international team competitions, which have been at the pinnacle of the sport's competition.

Before blaming the players involved, though, how about the National Squash associations? Why do top players in the sport such as Nicol, Owens, and Heath feel abandoned by their national associations?

The players are exhibiting the frustrations of their isolation and lack of support. But the consequence isn't constructive for the sport. Both the players and the associations must be leaders in bringing sense to their National identities and National programs.