Sportswashing refers to the general practice of using premier sporting events or clubs to deflect from controversies. The scenario involves a country, organization, or wealthy individual hosting a premier sporting event or purchasing a sporting club to improve their reputation. Sportswashing should be a consistently relevant topic, especially for sports fans. In 2022 there was a rise of two clear examples. The 2022 Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing, China. Since 2014, the Chinese government has been accused of committing genocide against the Uyghur Muslim minority in the province of Xinjiang. The United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia have already announced they will be exercising a diplomatic boycott. Other countries are expected to announce diplomatic boycotts as well. Additionally, in the winter of 2022, the FIFA World Cup will be held in Qatar. It is alleged that FIFA paid bribes to ensure Qatar was chosen as the host. To compound, Qatar has an abysmal human rights record, with Amnesty International accusing the Qatari government of using the slave labour of migrant workers to build stadiums. In 2021, the Guardian collected data from the governments of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka showed over 6,500 migrant workers had died while building Qatar’s stadiums.
Although it may seem like 2022 is the beginning of sports washing, the act has been around for nearly a century. Many refer to the 1934 FIFA World Cup hosted in Italy during the reign of Mussolini and the 1936 Summer Olympic Games hosted by Nazi Germany as the earliest known cases. As mentioned, countries, organizations and wealthy individuals also use sporting clubs to sportswash. Manchester City and Newcastle United are Premier League teams owned by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia via their sovereign wealth funds. Both countries vye to outduel each other in accumulating global influence and respect while simultaneously hoping the world will turn away from their human rights records. Chelsea FC is owned by Roman Abramovich, a free-spending Russian oligarch who is alleged to have significant ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi used AC Milan to deflect from his numerous political and personal scandals. On the organizational side, fútbol shirt sponsorships include Qatar Airways with Barcelona FC and Emirates Airlines with Real Madrid and Arsenal. Gazprom, a major Russian oil and gas company, recently signed an agreement with UEFA to sponsor the Champions League.
Countries use sportswashing to exercise soft power and deflect from human rights issues. Organizations and wealthy individuals use sportswashing to create positive coverage distracting from their internal troubles. But where does this leave sports fans? Sports fans seem to be notoriously apolitical, often complaining whenever social and political issues intrude into their respective sporting events. I predict that the Winter Olympics and the World Cup will go on and that the world will once again turn a blind eye to abuses happening in the host countries. We will not question the sponsorships of events, nor the owners of our favourite teams. We will enjoy the euphoria of winning and despair at defeat, but questioning state policy and organizational integrity related to sports will be delegated to investigative journalists and non-governmental organizations. Will we care about the human rights abuses or shady business deals they reveal? Probably, but when the time comes, we know to turn away.