Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about a new multicultural and sporting group in Tasmania, the Intercultural Sports League.

The league is the brainchild of a group of people which happens to include three cricketing fanatics—Raj Chopra, Mohan Mattalla and John Paul Palissery. The trio came to Tasmania from India—as you know, Mr Acting Deputy President Gallacher, the biggest cricket-loving country in the world. They met each other for the first time in Hobart when they were playing cricket and, not surprisingly, they decided that they wanted to play competitively. But they were told that if they wanted to play in a competition they would need a home ground, a business plan and their own league. They decided instead to form their own Intercultural Sports League.

I first met Raj, Mohan and John Paul in June this year at a barbecue that they were enjoying to launch their own team, the Intercultural Crusaders. I was overwhelmed by their passion, drive and enthusiasm. They are so focused on friendship and bridging the gap between different communities through sport. They want to promote multiculturalism through sport, and that is just what they are doing. Raj has become the spokesperson for the league, and his energy is infectious. He moved to Tasmania from Delhi in 2013 with his wife and young son, and fell in love with Hobart and its people.

Raj says that his passion is to work towards integrating culturally diverse and migrant communities with local communities. He believes that while there are many supporting groups and clubs in Tasmania there is a need for greater involvement and inclusion of migrants. Raj has approached local councils, businesses and sporting authorities for support in his efforts to use sport—particularly cricket—to promote multiculturalism. From this emerged the Intercultural Sports League.

I am fortunate to be a supporter of the league and I was happy to help organise a quiz night to raise funds to help buy equipment and to ensure that the league can continue to grow and prosper. I was pleased to attend and speak at the official launch of the league in Hobart, attended by nearly 100 people.

I am happy to report that the league is off to a great start. It has six teams of players starting a new 20/20 cricket tournament. The Sunday Tasmanian newspaper has written about the league and reported that it is bringing Hobart's cricket-loving nations together and bringing the World Cup back! It is a testament to Raj, Mohan and John Paul's commitment to multiculturalism that they have been successful in bringing six teams of players of Indian, Pakistani, Nepalese, Bangladeshi and Australian backgrounds together. The six teams are the IC-Crusaders, the Derwent Scorpions, the Pak-Eagles, the Copping Kingsmen, the Greg Chappell Cricket Team and the Tasmania Punjabi Society—which I think is actually topping the table. I am not sure about the cricketing prowess of the Pak-Eagles but I can assure you that they posed a big threat to my team at the quiz night—they finished third.

As I said earlier, the Intercultural Sports League has been launched with a vision to encourage social sports between different communities and to bring people out of isolation. It is targeting participants aged between 12 and 50, but people over 50 are welcome for their guidance for younger participants.

The enthusiasm of Raj and Mohan, who has just become father to his first child—a beautiful son—and John Paul knows no limits. They have enlisted the support of a range of like-minded organisations, such as the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Multicultural Council of Tasmania, to create more awareness and highlight the benefits of multicultural society.

The league's cricket tournament is supported by Cricket Tasmania, who have very generously donated prizes to the quiz night, including two of George Bailey's tops—which he actually did wear in the premier league—and is sponsored by the Royal Gurkhas Institute of Technology, the Annapurna Indian restaurant and various other individuals.

Whilst it is starting with a cricket tournament, the league is keen to branch out into other sports. It is partnered with the Huon Netball Association to promote netball and coaching clinics, and a tournament for women will start at the end of November. I have no doubt the Intercultural Sports League will be a wonderful success. (Time expired)