Foreigners need not apply!
Coming as we have, to the successful conclusion of the spectacularly staged XXIX Olympiad, one might be mistaken for thinking that the inherent Olympic message of ‘one world one vision’ and its implied message of the unity of all nations through the ennobling quality of sport would now permeate the world. It seems though, that permeate though it might, the spirit of the Olympic message has fallen upon deaf ears at the LPGA (the largest worldwide association of professional women golfers), where new rules mean that ‘foreigners need not apply’.
Actually, in fairness to the LPGA, the new rules state that from now on, members must speak English to a certain level (showing proficiency in certain ‘core’ areas: (interaction with amateurs during Pro-Am tournaments , television interviews, and winner acceptance speeches, including thanking sponsors, fans, and volunteers)…or face expulsion.
The actual reasons given for this ruling by the LPGA were that they were primarily in the ‘entertainment business’ and therefore it was essential for players to be able to interact and ‘show their personality’ to fans; a lack of English was cited by the LPGA as leading to some players being perceived as ‘faceless’. The LPGA were also seen to show some irritation that a noticeable number of long time foreign members had not become proficient in English because of their reliance on interpreters, who they paid to accompany them on every tour. The 121 international players from some 26 different countries will now have until 2009 to comply with the new language ruling or face expulsion.
No doubt the controversy caused, will go on for some time however, critics of the LPGA ruling simply state that the measure of a sportsperson’s eligibility and fitness to play, should rest solely on their professional ability, not their linguistic ability. They also point out that LPGA tournaments are played in many non-English speaking countries such as Singapore, Mexico, France, South Korea and Japan and that some English only speakers often use the services of interpreters whilst abroad.
Let us hope that this English only rule does not catch on; by my reckoning, with his current standard of English we would have to sack Fabio Capello, our current England football coach.
…come to think of it maybe we should remind the US based LPGA that if complete lack of mastery of the English language is a criterion for dismissal, then they’d better start looking for a new US President!