The debate continues on foreign born players allowed to represent adopted countries

The debate continues on foreign born players allowed to represent adopted countries

The debate to allow foreign born players with dual nationalities is an old one. There are many who are ‘for’ this while many ‘oppose’ such transgressions.

English cricket team is full of foreign nationals, while their Australian and South African counterparts are joining in the act. Sajid Khan, Imran Tahir, Usman Khawaja and Kevin Peterson are just a few of the current professional players playing for their
adopted nationalities.

Young boxing sensation, Amir Khan is a British-Pakistani professional who is currently the unified WBA Super and IBF Light Welterweight Champion. The #1 in the British pound for pound rankings by Sportinglife, was born and raised in Bolton but his family
originated from Matore, Kahuta in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan.

Football, on the other hand, is full of such cases. From Alfredo di Stefano to modern day Thiago Motta and Amauri, professional football is lined with glittering names.

With an array of players choosing to ignore countries of their origin for their adopted homelands, the debate is never ending.

Jaap Stam, former Netherlands star, has voiced his opinion on the matter and rejected these notions. Brazil-born centre-back, Douglas, is in-line to represent the Oranje and the former great has differing views.

"I think he’s a good player. We’ve spoken a few times and he seems like a nice guy, but if it was up to me, he wouldn’t get a call-up for the Dutch national side," Stam was quoted as saying by Voetbal International.

"I might be a bit conservative on matters like this, but I don’t see him as a real Dutchman. Additionally, he’s not much better than defenders like Joris Mathijsen and John Heitinga.

"I’m not a big fan of naturalisation procedures like this. Holland have plenty of promising youngsters coming through."

Stam’s views are not the first on the topic and neither will they be the last. For better or for worse the naturalisation process will continue and audiences world over will have to accept it as a modern day reality.  

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Posted by Awais Khan on Nov 12 2011. Filed under Editorial, Opinion, Society, Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry