Sports Washing

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University of Nairobi *

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BISCLA 380

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Management

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Nov 24, 2024

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1 Sports Washing Student’s Name Course University Professor’s Name Date

2 Sports Washing Sports can bring people together; athletics can unite people of all ages, nationalities, and walks of life. Nevertheless, there is a flip side to this very element. The unifying power of sports is also being exploited to divert attention away from human rights abuses and corruption. That creates sportswashing, a concept coined to describe how commonplace this practice has become. National governments and influential people have taken to "sportswashing," the practice of using sports and large international athletic events to boost their image, by doing things like hosting the event, buying teams in major sports leagues around the world, and sponsoring sports teams. Sportswashing has been used to cover up human rights abuses, business wrongdoing, and other forms of corruption and criminal activity on the national, personal, and corporate levels. In 2015, the Sports or Rights Campaign coined the phrase to criticize Azerbaijan's attempt to downplay human rights abuses by using the country as a venue for major international sporting events (Philip, 2021). Countries with questionable human rights histories and restrictions on freedom of expression, such as the United Arab Emirates, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, have repeatedly utilized sports to silence their critics and boost the country's international brand and image (Roy, 2021). The term sports washing is relatively new, but the activity itself dates back over a century. These totalitarian regimes used events like the 1934 FIFA World Cup in Italy, and the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin to legitimize themselves and spread their ideology (Roy, 2021). After the victorious Nazi Olympics in Berlin, many politicians and business leaders who doubted Adolf Hitler changed their minds (Roy, 2021). While Mussolini was in power, Italy won the 1934 World Cup. Sportswashing has become a widespread problem over the past few decades, affecting nearly every major sport and every big sporting event. By adopting steps to enhance the

3 protection of human rights and positively contribute to their enjoyment, FIFA has committed to going above its responsibilities to respect human rights since 2017 (Philip, 2021). To prevent human rights abuses, the football organization also launched a new program of inspections at the building sites where the events would be staged. However, in 2018, Russia hosted the FIFA World Cup amid an increasing crackdown on nonviolent critics, stifling dissent, and the deaths of workers building stadiums (Roy, 2021). Consequently, the media's attention was diverted away from human rights abuses and foreign crises and onto the 2018 World Cup in Russia (Roy, 2021). Amid political repression and the murder of political opponents, President Vladimir Putin used the country's successful athletic events as a smokescreen for his actions. Furthermore, the Qatar Investment Authority, which owns Paris Saint-Germain, and the ruling family of Abu Dhabi, which supports Manchester City, are extremely wealthy and powerful but have appalling human rights histories. However, the clubs' immense fanbase and global status are largely attributable to the money provided by these states, thus silencing any criticism (Roy, 2021). In this way, corporations and individuals are using football clubs as a platform for sports marketing by sponsoring or owning teams. Similarly, Qatar has been selected to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup despite numerous claims of human rights violations and awful working conditions, including the deaths of countless stadium-building workers (Søyland, 2020). The controversy surrounding awarding the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar stems from claims of unethical bidding practices (Søyland, 2020). The Kafala system, widely used in Qatar and requires a foreign worker to have a local sponsor to enter the country, has been criticized for giving companies and Qatari locals too much influence (Roy, 2021). Some observers believe that FIFA has lost all authority to issue an ultimatum to the host country due to its questionable conduct throughout the bidding process and financial interests. If

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4 the host country's human rights record does not improve, international athletic groups will likely threaten to move the event elsewhere (Roy, 2021). However, this is being considerably impacted by the enormous business interests at stake due to the globalization of sports on account of global sponsors and lucrative international watching rights. To silence criticism of its deteriorating human rights status, Saudi Arabia has been investing extensively in sports and sponsoring sporting events, most notably the 2021 F1 race (Roy, 2021). According to reports, Saudi Arabia will get $65 million throughout their ten-year contract with Formula One to host the Grand Prix in the country (Roy, 2021). It is also important to note how these sportswashing situations gain some press initially but then gets pushed to the sidelines as the game's action takes center stage. Recent years have seen the United Arab Emirates emerging as a leading contender for hosting big international athletic events. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has a history of human rights abuses, but when major tournaments are held, attention is diverted away from it (Søyland, 2020). There is evidence that the United Arab Emirates has a pattern of suppressing dissent, imprisoning political opponents, and failing to protect the rights of its migrant workforce. The India leg of the 2021 IPL was the most recent example of sportswashing in India's immediate vicinity. The Indian government gave the go-ahead to host the IPL to give the world the impression that all was well despite health concerns, a coming second wave of the pandemic, and stretched-out health infrastructure (Roy, 2021). The second wave hit hard, and it was evident that something was wrong; the International Premier League had to be halted in the middle of a match. As a result of the worldwide audience that sporting events attract, sports companies are less likely to air criticism of human rights issues. Turkish-German footballer Mesut Ozil, who played for Arsenal, voiced his displeasure with China's treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority

5 on social media in December 2019 (Philip, 2021). The club issued a statement denying any association with the player's views in response to the publication. The club was quick to distance itself from the player's comments because China is a lucrative broadcast market for the English Premier League. Despite being a huge rivalry, China's national broadcaster decided not to air Arsenal's match against Manchester City (Philip, 2021). An extremely wide range of justifications has been advanced for sportwashing. Qatar's participation in international sports is in line with a trend in which resource-rich autocratic regimes like Russia, Azerbaijan, China, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are increasingly investing extensively in international sports as a form of public diplomacy (Krzyzaniak, 2016). The objective is to rebrand itself as progressive, open-minded, and western-friendly to acquire a more international audience and benefit from the visibility that comes from its affiliation with international sports (Lenskyj, 2020). That is done by autocratic governments to improve their international reputation through sports and to divert attention away from their political crises. This growth is most obvious in acquiring elite European football clubs and signing multimillion-dollar sponsorship deals for football clubs and tournaments. People need alternative power sources in a more interconnected and technologically advanced world. Globalization refers to the trend of ever-increasing contacts, relationships, and endeavors between regional, national, and international communities and organizations (Steger, 2013). Nye thinks that these changes need countries to adjust to the information age's difficulties. Instead of trying to force other countries to do what they do not want to, by military threats or economic sanctions, they can try to sway them with attractive power. Soft power influences other nations to want one's desired outcomes (Nye, 2008). There are three ways to influence other people: using threats of coercion, using incentives and financial payments, and using the power

6 of attraction (Nye, 2008). Instead of forcing others to want what you want, soft power finds ways to persuade them. The aim is to have one's principles, culture, and policies admired and, by extension, attractive. When a country wants to influence the way other countries act internationally, soft power consists of the state enacting policies and programs designed to achieve this goal. That can be accomplished in various ways, including academic performance, artistic accomplishments, and athletic brilliance (Chen & Doran, 2022). The Olympic Games have long been held in the literature as the gold standard for manipulating soft power through sports. Sportswashing has recently been a focus of research into the intersection of politics and sports, but this area of study is still in its early stages in the academy (Difato, 2021). Academics have warned us that sportswashing is a deeper issue than simply exploiting sports as a means to boost a host country's GDP or worldwide reputation every four years (Difato, 2021). More often than not, states with bad national images or stereotypes benefit more from employing soft power to improve their image. Since the countries and cities hosting mega-events like the Olympics and the World Cup appear to be attentive to the scrutiny of the public, this is a perfect context in which to debate human rights issues. Because there are historical examples showing how sports have inspired violence or provoked abuses of human rights, answering the question of whether there is a possibility of forging a causal association between sports and a reduction in human rights violations is challenging (Philip, 2021). Human Rights Watch has found a connection between large-scale sporting events and a wide range of human rights abuses, including forced evictions, migrant worker exploitation, silencing of civil society activists, and the threats and intimidation of journalists. Philip 2021) argues that making a country's respect for physical integrity and

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7 expressive freedom contingent on its selection as a major event host positively impacts that country. While civil and political rights have been generally neglected during this time, it is reasonable to conclude that a state's behavior improvement in response to international inspection is mostly for show. Sportswashing promotes the idea that sports and the real world exist in separate realities. As long as sports are kept out of it, it does not matter if the host countries are violating human rights. As its name implies, it is meant to be a place of neutrality. States can buy favorable public opinion and societal influence through sportswashing. It is a subtle power move that takes a convoluted route. The ecosystem, including the fans, teams, and individuals engaged, thus becomes complicit in the effort to whitewash the oppressor state's image. Modern sports involve much more than just playing a game. It has become a fight for authority, with the stakes being material gain, social standing, and public perception. That is likely the greatest threat that sportswashing's success poses to the sporting world. It is important to remember that the sports ecosystem is not a closed system that can function independently of the outside world. It is possible to make a powerful statement and spread a message of social justice through sports and sporting events. Sports should be used as a political tool right now.

8 References Chen, S., & Doran, K. (2022). Using Sports to “Build It Up” or “Wash It down”: How Sportswashing Give Sports a Bad Name. Findings in Sport, Hospitality, Entertainment, and Event Management , 2 (1), 3. Difato, L. L. (2021, June 28). The hidden politics of sport: The Chechen mixed martial arts experiment. https://difato246.wordpress.com/2021/06/28/the-hidden-politics-of-sport-the- chechen-mixed-martial-arts-experiment/ Krzyzaniak, J. S. (2016). The soft power strategy of soccer sponsorships . Soccer & Society , 19(4), 498–515. Lenskyj, J. H. (2020). The Olympic Games: A Critical Approach . Bingley: Emerald Publishing. Nye, S.J. (2008). Public Diplomacy and Soft Power. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 616(1), 94–109. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716207311699 Philip, D. A. (2021). Human Rights Concerns in the Context of Globalization in Sports. Indian Journal of Law and Legal Research , 3 (2), 1166-1179. Roy, S. (2021). Sportswashing: The problematic relationship between sports and human rights . Sportswashing: The Problematic Relationship Between Sports and Human Rights. Retrieved from https://feminisminindia.com/2021/10/14/sportswashing-the-problematic- relationship-between-sports-and-human-rights/ Søyland, H. S. (2020). Qatar's sports strategy: a case of sports diplomacy or sportswashing? (Doctoral dissertation). Steger, M. (2013). Globalization: A very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Sports Washing

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