Sportswashing
The title makes me sound like a parent tired of washing the sports clothes of their children. It’s not that!
“Sportswashing - describes the practice of individuals, groups, corporations, or governments using sports to improve reputations tarnished by wrongdoing.”
There are many high-profile examples throughout the world, most recently The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. There was also the disgusting Greg Norman led golfing spectacle sponsored/funded by the Saudis. South Africa did it for years until an international sporting boycott (the Gleneagles agreement) treated the state as a pariah, helping increase pressure and, ultimately banish apartheid to history. Banning sporting contact with South Africa played a critical part in ending apartheid.
Source: Sportingnews.com
There are numerous current examples I could select but the one I want to highlight is Formula 1 motor racing.
The 2023 season kicks off in Saudia Arabia, a country with appalling human rights records. The list is long including mass executions of people labeled by the regime as dissidents through to the unpunished murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Drivers, like @LewisHamilton, have expressed concern that F1 shouldn’t be racing in countries like Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The drivers know they are being used to sportswash Saudi crimes and yet the circus and facade continues.
The FIA (the governing body), far from looking for ways to pressure regimes to change has decided to gag its drivers.
I love F1 with a passion but I won’t be watching the Saudi, Bahrain, Qatar or Abu Dhabi grand prixs. I’d also like to know what would happen if a driver boycotted a race? I assume it’s possible but it would no doubt come with consequences.
I’m planning on publishing and maintaining the ethical F1 table which includes all races apart from the ones mentioned!
