It is 6am on a crisp Friday morning at Broadmeadows aquatic centre in Melbourne’s north-west, and members of the Western Melbourne Propulsion Swim Club are doing laps under the watchful eye of their coach. It is a scene repeated every morning at pools across Australia. But at Broadmeadows, something is different.
The composition of many of Australia’s favourite sports have come to reflect the multicultural makeup of this country, even if racism and discrimination persist. The latest Socceroos squad, for example, features players with heritage from 15 countries, from Bosnia to Burundi, and while basketball, athletics and the AFL have long sought to engage with African-Australian communities.
