As Australia prepares to host the 21st Commonwealth Games, of the 473 that will compete under the Southern Star flag for the home team, 27 hold roots abroad.
“One for mum, one for dad, and one for the country.” That was how a former Australian politician encouraged residents to have kids, while working on a problem that has long plagued the continental-island.
Till date, for the sixth largest country in the world, its 24 million residents render it helplessly underpopulated. To put that into perspective, the Indian railways has received 25 million job applications this year. And so the three-child policy was one way of boosting the birthrate. Migration was the other.
According to The Australian, about half of Australia’s population was born abroad, or has a parent born overseas. It’s been a key mantra that was conceived after the Second World War, to uphold the country’s economy and population.
It continues to produce results, but not just on the economic front. The success of the immigration program – Australia is rated the sixth most accepting nation – has trickled down to the country’s sporting endeavours.
But the Aussies aren’t the only ones who’ve relied on immigration, both on the economic and sporting front – that too for the same reason.
On the other end of the globe, Canada too is facing problems with under-population. A mere 36 million people reside in the second largest country in the world. Canadian culture (apart from its obvious role in the British Empire) leads to its history of being a French colony, making it susceptible to being a melting pot society.
Just like the Australian lineup, from the 283 Canadians that will travel from the top left corner of the world to the bottom right, 35 trace their roots to overseas.
And that’s long been the culture and tradition of both these sporting nations. Unlike the Middle East, where ready-made athletes are picked to compete under their colours, Canada and Australia are happy to accept people from all fields of expertise – some go on to become important sportspersons.
Take their tennis players as an example. Australia’s no 1 singles player Nick Kyrgios has a Greek father and Malaysian mother, while Canadian ace Milos Raonic was born in Montenegro. Similarly, Wallabies rugby player Stephen Moore, who captained the Australian team to a second place finish at the 2015 World Cup, has Irish heritage with both parents coming from Ireland. So does Geraldine Heaney, considered Canada’s greatest ice hockey player.
Migration has been the need for both these superpower nations to thrive and remain among the ‘first world.’ That need has, unintentionally, given them some of the biggest sporting icons they have produced.
The Commonwealth Games is usually used, in some events, as a platform to test future stars. From the 27 of Australia and the 35 of Canada, the two nations may find more success stories for their open, welcoming societies.
Destination Australia
Joseph Deng : 800 m South Sudan/Kenya
He was born in a refugee camp in Kenya when his mother fled the homeland due to civil war. He moved to Australia when he was six.
Rupinder Kaur : Wrestling/India
Originally from Tarn Taran, Punjab, moved to Australia in 2007 to pursue academics. Now, she’s their best 48kg woman wrestler.
Bendere Oboya : 400m/Ethiopia
She was three when she moved to Australia with her Ethiopian parents, who immigrated in search for a better lifestyle.
Elizabeth Parnov: Pole Vault/Russia/Ukraine
Born in Moscow, she moved to Australia when she was 2. Her grandparents, father, aunt and siblings are all reputed athletes.
Esther Qin: Diving/China
Born in Liuzhou, China, Qin started diving when she was 11, in Beijing. Her family emigrated to Australia in 2009.
Melissa Wu: Diving/China
The 2008 Olympics silver medallist has a Chinese father and Australian mother. She won gold at Delhi CWG.
Miao Miao: Table Tennis/China
Born in Tianjin, she holds Polish and Australian nationalities. Moved to Australia in 1997, whom she has represented four Olympics.
Jian Fang Lay: Table Tennis/China
Born in Wenzhou, the 45-year-old moved to Australia in 1994, and has competed in a record five Olympics for her country.
Heming Hu: Table Tennis/China
Born to Chinese parents, the science student started playing table tennis when he was seven, in the family garage.
Xin Yan: Table Tennis/China
Known as ‘Chris Yan’ in Australia, he was born in Xi’an, China, he moved to Australia when he was 21 for his academics.
Anja Stridsman: Boxer/Sweden
Born in Sweden, she arrived in Australia over a decade ago to pursue a degree in graphic design. She is currently their best boxer.
Simplice Ribouem: Weightlifting/Cameroon
Born in Douala, Ribouem won bronze for the African nation at the 2006 Melbourne CWG. He then sought asylum in Australia.
Vannara Be: Weightlifting/Cambodia
His family members were killed in Cambodian genocide. Consequently, they fled the country and sought refuge in Australia.
Phillip Liao: Weightlifting/China
The 24-year-old of Chinese descent speaks Cantonese and Mandarin and will be competing in his maiden CWG.
Boris Elesin: Weightlifting/Armenia/Russia
His father was Armenia’s first flag-bearer at Olympics while Russian mother won high jump gold at Sydney Games.
Katrin Garfoot: Cycling/Germany
Born and raised in Munich. She moved to Australia via Auckland, where she earned a bachelor’s degree.
Jesse Parahi: Rugby Sevens/New zealand
He may not quite do the ‘haka’ in Australian colours, but Parahi is of Maori descent (Ngati Kahungunu iwi tribe).
Robin Middleton: Badminton/England
He developed differences with Badminton England. He then moved to Australia in 2014 and competing for them since then.
Gronya Somerville: Badminton/ British/Chinese
Born to a British mother and Chinese father, she is a fifth generation descendant of Kang Youwei, a reformer during the Qing Dynasty.
Also There…
Fabrice Lapierre, a long jumper, was born in Mauritius to Mauritian parents.
Cameroon-born weightlifter François Etoundi bagged Australia’s first medal in the sport, a bronze, at the 2014 CWG.
Beach volleyball player Mariafe Artacho del Solar moved to Australia from Lima, Peru, in 2004, when she was 11.
The Australian badminton team has quite a few immigrants. Setyana Mapasa represented Indonesia at junior level before moving to Australia. Others include Sri Lanka-born Sawan Serasinghe, Taiwan’s Hsuan-yu ‘Wendy’ Chen, Kuala Lumpur-born Renuga Veeran and Chinese-origin Matthew Chau.
Destination Canada
Mohammed Ahmed: 5000m, 10000m / Somalia
Born in Mogadishu, his family moved to Canada when he was 11. His mother Halimo is from the same Somalian clan as Mo Farah.
Samuel Effah: 100m/Ghana
His family moved from Ghana to Canada, where he was born. He went on to become Canada’s fourth-fastest athlete.
Gavin Smellie: 100m/Jamaica
He moved from Papine, Jamaica, when he was 14. He’s a multiple medal winner at Canadian Athletics championships.
Jilliam Weir: Hammer Throw/England
Her father has competed in 3 CWGs. Jilliam, whose mother is Canadian, was born in USA and decided to compete for Canada.
Brian Young: Badminton/China
Son of Chinese immigrants, 16-year-old Young became Canada’s youngest U-19 national champion at the age of 14 years.
Michelle Li: Badminton/Hong kong
Moved to Canada in 1997. Became the first Canadian female shuttler to win a gold medal in CWG in Glasgow.
Brandon Pereira: Hockey/Uganda/India
His grandfather played for Ugandan hockey team in the Olympics. He made his Canada debut in the 2013 Junior World Cup in Delhi.
Keegan Pereira: Hockey/India
He began playing in Mumbai and moved to Canada in 1998 with his parents. He’s a regular in the Canadian team since 2009.
Balraj and Sukhpal Panesar: Hockey/India
They play at United Brothers Club in Surrey and are now the mainstays of the Canadian team.
Carolin Vyre: Boxing/France
Carolin Vyre first visited Canada in 2000 for her mother’s cancer treatment. The family moved to Canada in 2003.
Floris van Son: Hockey/Hong Kong/Holland
His father Bert represented Hong Kong in hockey while mother played at a club-level in Holland. Son was born in Calgary.
Eric Basran: Boxing/India
Surrey-based Eric Basran, whose parents are from India, is a Canadian national champion in 56kg category.
Anicka Newell: Polevault/USA
The Albuquerque native finished 29th in pole vault at Rio Olympics and 12th at World Championships last year.
Jason Ho-Shue: Badminton/China
Born to Chinese parents, 19-year-old Shue became the youngest to win the Canadian senior title at the age of 17 in 2016.
Amisi David Kapinga: Basketball/Congo
He moved to Canada when he was four as a refugee with his parents. He is now one of Canada’s best cagers.
Munis Tutu: Heptathlon/China
21-year-old point guard Munis Tutu was born in Egypt but moved to Canada when he was nine months old.
Also There…
Japanese-origin Nyl Yakura is in the badminton team along with Kristen Wan-Ting Tsai, whose roots are from another country.
Angela Whyte, a heptathlete, is of Jamaican origin. Her father Evert was a track athlete in Jamaica before immigrating to Canada.
Basketball player Danielle Boiago‘s father and grandparents moved to Canada from Italy. His teammates Mambi Diawara, Ammanuel Diressa and Mamadou Gueye, too, have their origins outside Canada.
Beach volleyballer Melissa Humana-Paredes‘s parents moved to Canada from Chile.
Steven Takahashi, a Japanese-Canada, is son of former Canadian Olympic wrestling star Ray and grandson of the great Canadian judoka Maseo Takahashi.
Table tennis players Justina Yeung, Mo Zhang, Zhen Wang are all Chinese-origin.