Get a grip mate…..just ‘cos I comment on the whole bizarreness of the whole thing about which country people represent, doesn’t mean I’m making a personal attack on the girl. She’s lovely I’m sure
The problem I have (not that you asked me) is not with her, she's inspirational, it's with the hypocrisy of the same people who complain loudly about immigrants cheering her as one of their own because she looks nice and she's good at tennis.
See my previous post. I just find it somewhat bizarre that situations exist that my daughter could represent Trinidad when she has never even visited the country.
What’s strange about it ? It’s part of the conversation in general. In fact at least my daughter has a Trini Grandfather…whereas this lovely girl hasn’t got any ties to this country other than her parents coming over here to live. It’s not an attack on her personally
Don't worry, she's not taking away the chances of your daughter becoming a UK Tennis champ. She was educated here. Tennis coached in the UK. British passport. British citizen. Family and friends here. She has plenty of ties here. It sounds more like you are looking for ways that these ties could (should?) be cut.
This begins to sound anti-immigrant, Stainsey, whereas I'm sure that's not what you intend. The UK has been incredibly accepting of immigrants in recent years. But the Brexit vote suggests that the majority of the adult population want control over future immigration, both numbers and type of person coming in. Even after Brexit, approaching 6 million EU citizens have been granted the right to settled status here and no one (except perhaps the odd National Front member) has any problem with this. Emma Raducanu is an exceptional young woman, both in sporting terms and intellectually (her A level grades are good enough to get her into Oxford or Cambridge). She can celebrate her blood ties to Romania and China (which probably play a big part on her focus, steely determination and lack of nerves on court), but she has chosen her nationality to be British. And unless she changes her mind (and why would she, when she probably can't remember living anywhere else?), it's wrong to question her choice just because she doesn't have indigenous blood ties. That's an anti immigrant stance. For the rest of us, we can celebrate a phenomenally talented British sportswoman, while recognising her Romanian and Chinese heritage. I still feel knocked out by her sensational achievement last night.
Of course it’s not anti immigrant, I would suggest that’s been made pretty clear on my part and for anyone to imply that is what I’m saying is either a flag shagging mail reader point scorer or just a twat. The point I’m making is about the bizarre notion of representing a ‘country’ through sport and the weird way that many in this country strive success to such a degree that we will adopt anyone as ‘British’, as long as we gain success.
But how can this apply to Emma Raducanu? She was only two when she came here. The LTA didn't know what the UK was adopting. Compare that with Martina Navratilova who became a US citizen at 25. As far as the British public are concerned, they have taken Raducanu to their heart - to question whether this is right, is to question whether Raducanu is as British as someone who came from a British family.
Andy Murray was Scottish until he started winning Slams, then he suddenly became British - glory hunting ****s in the Daily Mail
Of course the British public have taken her to their heart….she’s won something. Once again, I am in no way questions her right personally as some on here are implying. What I am saying is that the whole concept of representing a country in sport is now an out dated and bizarre concept
You may be right generally, but why say this in the context of Raducanu? She is as British as someone who's family goes back to the Normans. We don't have different grades of British citizen.
We already have Wokies and Gammons. Now we have TWATS - workers that insist on coming into the office only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays And Thursdays
Sorry you’re not making sense…..are you saying that I’m right in general but cannot mention any specifics to back up my case about the whole concept ? Then how else can I back up my argument on any subject ?
I totally understand what youre saying Staines. Wasnt long ago that we were deporting the Windrush generation with stronger ties to this country. If every dinghy landing at dover had some tennis rackets on board with the potential of a future champ amongst them, would the outcry be as strong as it is now? Immigration has never bothered me, it does however bother millions of people and thats where there is some form of hypocricy no matter how slight.
