by Chris Matthews
'Sportswashing' is widely understood as the practice of morally questionable organisations and political regimes using sport as a platform to 'clean' or 'rinse' their reputations through hosting, sponsoring, and purchasing professional sports organisations. While not a novel concept, there has been a notable increase in this type of showboating in professional sports in recent years. As debates on the topic become commonplace in the world of professional sports, an important question is asked of sports fans globally - where do we draw the line?
Inherent to the practice of 'sportswashing' as is often seen in the criminal act of money laundering, is the intention to divert attention. As one of the world's top consumed forms of entertainment, sport provides the ideal breeding ground for those less palatable members of our society to litter their dollar-fueled red herrings in the name of 'good sport.' Much like art, poetry, film and theatre, sports can often be rashly dismissed as nonessential or a 'luxury' in our modern existence. While dispensable in the context of sustaining human life, sport carries with it the same ability to shape our very perceptions of the world and influence the lives of billions. Sport, like the arts, has often pointed a mirror at our society and played host to much of the world's political and social discourse.
Some early examples of 'sportswashing' include the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, an event sometimes coined the 'Nazi Olympics' for Hitler's attempt to showcase the Third Reich on a global stage a mere three years before the outbreak of the second world war. More recently, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has resulted in a global push to freeze Russian money and influence. In doing so, many of the nation's oligarchs have come under fire for their links to the Kremlin. Such was the case with former Chelsea FC owner and oil giant Roman Abramovich, who due to his active participation in sportswashing was pressed to sell the club and remove all its links to Russian money after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Certain sports, however, have found themselves involved in the world of 'sportswashing' on a much more covert level. Formula 1, often thought to be the pinnacle of motor racing, has witnessed a significant influx of Saudi money in the last few years. Saudi Arabia has gained attention in recent years for its horrific human rights track record under the leadership of the nation's royal family. The killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi in 2018, an openly outspoken critic of the Saudi royal family, has still left many unanswered questions. Aramco, a public Saudi oil company, is one of F1's biggest sponsors and recently acquired a 10% stake in the Aston Martin racing team. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia is now a regular feature on the F1 Grand Prix calendar, with many of the nation's infamous high-ranking officials, such as Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman making appearances on race day.
Perhaps nowhere else has the practice of 'sportswashing' made as significant an impact as it has in the world of professional golf. Traditionally the 'biggest' and best tour to play on, the PGA Tour has now been outshone by the introduction of a rebel breakaway tour called LIV Golf, an entirely Saudi-backed tour offering payouts and appearance fees up to two or three times more than that of the PGA Tour. The response from the PGA Tour has been to deny their members the chance to play on both tours, resulting in a string of antitrust or 'anti-competitive' lawsuits ensuing between the PGA Tour and their former players. Unlike other professional sports, this move has been seen as a direct attack on the very heart of the sport.
Professional sport has never been free of controversy. One thinks of Lance Armstrong's Tour de France doping scandal or former SA cricket captain Hansie Cronje's match-fixing revelations. Unique to 'sportswashing,' however, is that its continued existence in professional sport largely lies in the fans' hands. Unfortunately, regulations preventing this practice will carry significant geopolitical ramifications that extend far beyond the reach of sports; therefore, it calls on us all to decide where we draw the line. Do we keep our televisions on? Or do we speak up? Can one consciously separate sports from politics? Time, as it has become ever so accustomed, will tell.