Identity games

Germany played a triumphant game of football last night. They ran rings around the Socceroos. Ripped delicious passes to each other. And scored more goals that any of the games in the World Cup so far. Four goals to nil was the damage at the end of the night. It could have been much worse.

This from the youngest team in the tournament (avg. age 25.3). The youngest in German history since the 1934 world cup. A team that the pundits had written off as far too inexperienced. Far too lame (the captain's name is 'Lahm'). Far too second-rate and bereft of their highly paid EPL talismans.

In this game at least, this team both sparkled individually as well as played together superbly.

What intrigued me is how different this team has been to the previous ones. Germans usually play with white shirts. At least in my memory, the vast majority of players have been as white as their home strip. Take a look at this recreation from a film about the 1954 world cup triumph in Bern:

Caucasians all around.

Now take a look at the names of the players for yesterdays match:

Playing 11 - Neuer, Friedrich, Badstuber, Lahm, Mertesacker, Khedira, Schweinsteiger, Ozil, Podolski, Klose, Muller
Subs: Wiese, Butt, Jansen, Tasci, Boateng, Aogo, Trochowski, Kroos, Marin, Kiessling, Cacau, Gomez

A full 11 German players could be playing for other countries ranging from Poland (Klose, Podolski, Trochowski), to Tunisia (Khedira), Turkey (Tasci, Ozil - who was sparkling), Bosnia (Marin), Spain (Gomez), Nigeria (Aogo), Ghana (Boateng - his brother who grew up with him in Berlin chose to play for Ghana and they are due to meet on opposite sides in the last group match), and finally Brazil (Cacau who scored a goal the first time he touched the ball in the game). As I understand it, other than Cacau (who emigrated from Brazil a few years ago) - most of them were born or brought up in Germany - and consider themselves absolutely German. But with twists. Ozil doesn't sing the national anthem at the beginning of games. He speaks words from the Koran. Klose and Podolski never sing. And never will. But all seem to identify themselves as Germans - though not perhaps as the Germans of other generations.

It seems to me that the national football team offers a glimpse into the Germany of today - which is far more multi-stranded as most of us outsiders think. Many cities have 20-30% of their population made up of folks who are not teutonic (if there ever was such a thing in the first place - given the wide variety of people movements over history).

Ozil and Cacau celebrate Cacau's goal

Now lets shift the scene a little bit. OK, a lot.

Besides the issue of why we can't get a football team together that can take on the world (when Slovenia and Slovakia can). Others have commented enough on this - and usually bring out the fact that India did qualify in 1950 but were not allowed by FIFA because they wanted to play barefoot (!).

Lets look at our dear country of India with its billion plus people. Hundreds of languages. Vast teeming crowds. Multiple cuisines. Ancient histories. Modern acquisitions. Wealth being generated. Aspirations risin'. Who are we actually?

We don't even allow the poor Amitraj family (bless their dear US-citizen hearts) to represent India in tennis. Let alone see folks who may be from other places take on the tricolour as their own.

I am often asked whether I am a foreigner.

"Why?" I reply (knowing full well what the answer will be, of course).

'Because you look like a foreigner'

"So do you" I reply

'Me? No, I am Indian' says my inquisitor - sometimes with a slight shock in his voice

"Oh" I reply "You look just like a Pakistani to me"

End of conversation. I usually point out that my national identity is not in my skin - but in the choices that I make.

How do we get beyond the tribal substrate that binds us? How to build a national identity that is inclusive - when so many of our folks don't even feel Indian to begin with? Almost the entire North East for example. And the rest that do feel 'Indian' inevitably are more concerned about their own language, tribe, community, caste than something as abstract as a national identity.

I think we have quite a bit to learn from the current generation of Germans when it comes to nation-building. All this from watching the beautiful game being played beautifully. By the Germans of all people!