BERLIN: On Sept 9, 2026, the critically acclaimed ZDF documentary series ‘Mesut Özil – Zu Gast bei Freunden’ won the German Television Award (Deutscher Fernsehpreis) for Best Docuseries.
The three-part series reconstructs Özil’s rise and fall in the eyes of the German public, offering a story about identity and belonging.
Özil, of Turkish origin, played for the German football national team and was part of the 2014 Fifa World Cup-winning team. Once hailed as a hero, Özil and Ilkay Gundogan were later slammed by certain quarters, including politicians from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), who blamed them after the team stumbled in the group stage and failed to defend its 2014 title.
Özil moved to Turkey and entered politics, sparking debates about ethnicity and nationalism.
Those conversations continue in Germany and beyond. But Özil’s experience may be the exception to Germany’s approach to using sport as an integration tool through a structured, state-funded initiative.
Grassroots clubs serve as anchor points where migrants and locals interact regularly. Rather than hosting isolated tournaments in which immigrant groups play against local teams, the German strategy focuses on integrating migrants directly into existing club rosters.
Over time, participants are encouraged to take on active roles within the club ecosystem as coaches, referees and administrative volunteers, turning a weekend pastime into a gateway to broader civic participation and social belonging.
This was also shared by the SportBunt team during a briefing and sharing session with 15 guests from around the globe, including the writer, organised by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office on Sept 8 in Berlin.
SportBunt connects refugees with Berlin sports clubs. Its events are held inside and outside refugee homes, with close collaboration among partners working on integration and diversity across districts.
Individuals can also become licensed coaches, as explained by SportBunt Sport Integration Coach Ramin Sedighi, a former national taekwondo exponent and coach in Afghanistan.
The situation differs in Kuala Lumpur. While migrant communities in the Southeast Asian nation use sport to build solidarity within their circles, these events operate outside Malaysian social structures. Matches are typically self-organised and played strictly between migrant teams.
While these gatherings provide vital community support, they do not bridge the gap between foreign workers and local residents, leaving social stereotypes and mutual hesitation intact.
Integrating local Malaysians into these sporting events could foster empathy, break down xenophobic perceptions and create shared urban spaces. More importantly, it could help migrant communities understand and adapt to Malaysian culture.
Sport functions as a universal language that sidesteps verbal communication barriers, allowing camaraderie to form organically through shared athletic effort.
At neighbourhood level, structured recreational interaction can ease tensions between local residents’ associations and nearby migrant worker populations.
However, directly replicating Germany’s framework faces major structural roadblocks in Malaysia because of fundamental differences in legal and institutional policy.
Germany operates with a long-term integration mandate aimed at eventual permanent residency or citizenship, whereas Malaysia is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, and refugees remain without a fully codified legal status under local laws. This creates uncertainty for government agencies, refugees, employers, civil society organisations and host communities.
A highly visible, state-sanctioned sports programme could expose undocumented participants to immigration enforcement risks, making many hesitant to participate in formal public leagues.
For sports integration to work safely and effectively in Malaysia, the model must be adapted to local realities.
Instead of formal clubs, organisers can utilise low-barrier formats such as mixed-roster futsal tournaments hosted by non-governmental organisations. By shuffling players so locals and migrants play on the same team rather than against each other, tournaments can prevent nationalistic rivalries on the pitch.
Sport is also a transformative tool that can steer individuals, especially immigrants and their children, away from crime and violence.
With the right local safeguards and neutral coordination, sport can serve as a practical, informal bridge to peaceful coexistence in Malaysia while ensuring the nation’s laws are respected.
