Dear World Cup
Good day! I begin with an apology for not being able to follow your matches, as some are at an ungodly hour.
Thankfully, this time round, some of your matches are screened free on the public broadcast channel. They are not monopolised with a fee.
I do, however, catch up with the action through highlights online. I remain passionate about the World Cup, and I have a team to support. But I do not do it with deep nationalistic pride.
I do not have any blood ties with them, on my father’s side or my mother’s side. All I have is a history of colonialism. So, lest I be accused of being unpatriotic, I had better not reveal which team I support.
A tournament of underdogs
I marvel at some of the nations that have taken part in the tournament over the years. I am in awe of how they have managed to qualify.
Here is why. There are teams from countries that are experiencing wars, or had recently seen one end. Their players trained on fields that looked more like sand than football pitches.
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Despite not having millions in funding, foreign coaches, modern equipment or political patronage, they play with passion and pride. Not for a pay cheque, privilege or position. I bet you had never heard of Cape Verde before this.
Malaysia’s forgotten glory
And this year, despite you welcoming 48 teams, Malaysia still watches from the touchline. This begs the question. Can there be a Malaysian team capable of bringing you, the World Cup tournament, to Malaysia?
We once had a team that qualified for the Olympic football tournaments in Munich 1972 and Moscow 1980. This team comprised players who played with a sense of camaraderie that transcended ethnicity and religion. It was a team feared throughout Asia.
Speaking of pride, strangely enough, some people in Malaysia were reportedly involved in a brawl over support for two foreign teams that had nothing to do with us.
I hope one day I will be able to watch my national team play at the World Cup. I hope they qualify fairly, rather than through the back door or simply as a host nation.
Maybe what we lack is not talent but the courage to enjoy playing football. It should not be about positions, politics or photo opportunities.
Our road to the World Cup could begin with more fields and fewer condominiums, so children can simply play.
I shall wait for the day when I can truly support Malaysia on your field, singing Negaraku, the national anthem, with pride, and watching our players compete as deserving participants.
Hopefully, dear World Cup, I will not be doing this in spirit only.
The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.
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