International ties bind most national allegiances

Posted on 10. Feb, 2010 by David White in Olympics

MEHREEN KHAN
LIFE REPORTER

While some Humber international students will solely support their native country during the Vancouver Olympics, others will declare their loyalty to Canada.
Brahmjot Singh, a student from India, studying electronics engineering, said he will root for his native country and Canada.
“Well, I’ll be supporting both of them because it will increase my chances of being happy,” said Singh.
Chelva Kanaganayakam, professor at the Centre for South Asian studies at the University of Toronto, said an individual’s loyalty depends on the level of acceptance they feel in Canada.
“Someone that feels that Canada has not been kind is more likely to support India or Sri Lanka or Pakistan as opposed to Canada, but someone who feels that Canada has been kind to them would have a loyalty towards Canada.”
Singh falls into the latter category.
“Of course I would like India to win some medals because they haven’t won any medals in any Olympics,” he said.
This will be the ninth Olympic Games India has participated in and there are four Indian athletes participating.
“I’ll support Canada too because I have been living here for the past two years so Canada is pretty much my home country too,” said Singh.
Azella Brooker, a recent accounting grad from Saint Vincent, Caribbean, who now works in the international student centre, said she is looking forward to watching skating events.
She said her loyalty lies with Canada.
Another international student centre employee, Amit Chhabra, said he will only root for India.
“I will definitely support India, my country, and not some country where I have just moved in,” said the second-year computer and network support technician student. “It’s because this country took me in but that country made me, it’s as simple as that.”