How our leaders missed a golden opportunity to support Hong Kong
Zuraidah Ibrahim says the World Cup qualifier between China and Hong Kong presented our top officials with the perfect chance to show their passion for the city, without offending Beijing
In the United States, candidates for national office wear their sporting loyalties on their sleeves – and on their heads. Donning a cap advertising their favourite team is such a standard photo op, it is almost a cliché.
Barack Obama may be president of the union of 50 states, with an official residence in the neutral ground of the District of Columbia, but he has never been shy of his Chicago roots when it comes to baseball. He is a Chicago White Sox fan. And when arch rivals the Chicago Cubs had a chance to make it to the World Series, he didn’t hesitate to support them. “Congrats @Cubs – even @whitesox fans are rooting for you!” he tweeted.
The current pretenders in the presidential primaries are continuing this old tradition, flaunting their love for their hometown sports teams even as they traverse the country trying to persuade voters from Connecticut to California that they care passionately about each and every one of them.
As for those vying for state or city office, supporting the local team is a job requirement. George W. Bush did one better. As a potential Texas governor, he bought a share in the Texas Rangers, gaining him not just street cred but also a tidy bonus when the club was later sold.
These politicians all know how sports can be a useful arena to show their more human side.
What has all this got to do with Hong Kong? A lot, if the events of the past week are any indication. The World Cup soccer qualifying match between Hong Kong and China, coming in the wake of tensions between the city and the mainland, was the talk of the town.