Despite having a population of less than 150,000 people (the smallest of all the State Capitals), Darwin is one of Australia’s most culturally diverse cities with people from more than 60 nationalities and 70 different ethnic backgrounds calling Darwin home; 30% of the city’s population was born overseas.
Hailed as Australia’s ‘Gateway to Asia’, Darwin is geographically closer to the capital cities of five other countries than it is to Canberra, and it is initiatives like the ‘Top End Multicultural Cup’ that help to bridge cultural barriers and promote the integration of different ethnic groups into the mainstream community.
The concept was born in 2017 as the ‘Asia Cup’ and was played almost exclusively by migrants from the sub-continent. The tournament was an opportunity to bring the Asian community together; helping many new migrants find friends and fit into the Top End lifestyle; networking and bonding over their shared passion for cricket and supporting each other while they settled in Darwin.
Despite the tournament’s success at helping migrants find and support each other through cricket, there was one major issue with the initiative; it didn’t help these ethnic groups to integrate into the wider, more mainstream community. Darwin locals perceived the ‘Asia Cup’ as being accessible only to those of an Asian-immigrant background and it unintentionally reinforced stereotypes that immigrants weren’t looking to assimilate into the local community. The initiative needed a restructure and rebranding to help bridge that gap; to make the tournament truly welcoming, not only for Darwin’s immigrant population, but for the local community as well.
Enter Udara Weerasinghe, a Sri-Lankan born first class cricketer, who has called Darwin home for the past 14 years. An immigrant himself, Udara understood the landscape, the challenges and perceptions, but he also knew first-hand that a shared passion for cricket can be the ideal vehicle to help these ethnic groups assimilate into the local community, as he himself has done so successfully. It’s human nature, Udara admits:
“When you travel abroad on holiday, you naturally seek out the familiar to begin with; a brand you recognise, a beer, a restaurant-chain, just while you’re finding your feet. It’s no different for these migrants arriving in Darwin; everything is different for them, the language, the culture. Initiatives like the Asia Cup were a great vehicle to help these migrants adapt to their new country, like any expat, and find their community, but it was clear that the tournament needed to evolve and take that next step; to not only be diverse, but also inclusive; to be a bridge between two distinct cultures; subcontinental Asians and white Australians”.
Fast forward to 2023, and the launch of the rebranded ‘Top End Multicultural Cup’ which saw over 200 players take part in 33 matches across three weekends during October. Boasting 12 teams from Darwin and it’s surrounds, sides were made up of a mix of communities from Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Australia.
“This off-season tournament is a chance for those cricket lovers to come together with members of their community, adorn their team colours and represent their region in a competitive tournament”, Udara, now tournament organiser, outlines.
“All the players are Darwin-based, the majority of which play among the varying leagues during the dry season. The purpose is to give these cultural communities an opportunity to come together and represent their culture through cricket. For so many of them it is their number one sport and makes up so much of their lives. The tournament is also a great way for these players to be educated on the cricketing culture and landscape in Australia, as it is quite different from what most are used to back home.”