The definition of ‘sportswashing’ is the practice of an organisation, a government, a country, etc. supporting sport or organising sports events as a way to improve its reputation.
There have been many accusations over sportswashing in recent months, particularly in Middle Eastern countries such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as their sporting dominance increases.
Are the leaders of these countries truly interested and passionate about sport, or is there an alternative reason behind all of this?
Firstly, sportswashing is not a new thing. In 1936, the Olympic Games were held in Berlin while Adolf Hitler continued his Nazi regime through Germany. More recently, though, Russia hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics and 2018 FIFA World Cup, and Qatar hosted the World Cup in 2022 amid issues with human rights.
In Saudi Arabia, women weren’t allowed to vote until 2011, and in 2017, women were able to independently access healthcare and education, as well as being able to drive. Gay rights are not well established, either, with the punishment being anything from imprisonment to the death penalty.
The Middle East in general has these rules, either as law or a taboo subject, and when the rest of the world’s eyes are upon you, it seems logical to want to shy away from that, and focus on the good things that your country can deliver.
While the Qatar World Cup may have been one to treasure in terms of quality, it was also a tournament where women stated they felt much safer than other events. Speaking to ITV, English fan Ellie Molloson said she was initially nervous about going, but felt safe as the tournament went on. She did not see any hostility, to her or others, no catcalling, or strange comments, and it was peaceful. We’ll never know whether it was alcohol related or not, but it could be argued.
Events in the Middle East have become more frequent in recent years. In 2019, the fight between Andy Ruiz and Anthony Joshua was the first heavyweight Boxing event to be staged in Saudi Arabia. Qatar had 12 years worth of preparations to stage the FIFA World Cup in 2022, and in each year either side of that they hosted a Formula One race. Grands Prix have been held in Saudi Arabia since 2021, Bahrain since 2011 and Abu Dhabi since 2009. In 2021, LIV Golf was founded. It is financed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which is the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Saudi Arabia. In the same year, there was a takeover of Newcastle United which is also funded by the PIF. The Tennis ATP finals will be hosted in Jeddah until 2027, and Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, where many high-profile footballers are currently playing in the Saudi Pro-League on millions of pounds per week.
So, if the Middle East, and particularly Saudi Arabia, can afford to splash the cash left, right and centre, why are they only doing it now?
That’s a tricky answer. However, it is quite well known that Saudi Arabia is home to an enormous amount of oil, which other countries buy from them for billions upon billions of pounds per year. Therefore, the money that is brought in can help the economy, can help their citizens and help their country grow. Once again, though, the Saudis receiving money for oil is not a new development, so they could’ve splashed the cash in sport a long time ago.
However, as new sustainable methods of running countries start to arise, then it’s likely going to become much more evident to the leaders of the world that the oil isn’t necessary, and may start to withdraw their funding from Saudi Arabia. The country still has trillions to spend, and by the looks of it, they have spotted the trend early to make sure they get the focus on them again to bring in the money that may be lost in the future.
So are they interested in sport, and following up on that interest because they have the wealth to do so, or are they trying to generate another sustainable income and revenue stream?
They certainly seem to know what they’re doing. Four of the football clubs in the Saudi Pro-League are owned by the PIF (Al-Ahli, Al Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al Nassr) and can afford enormous fees for these players. Who else would be able to offer £1bn for Kylian Mbappe? If a £300m offer and a £700m salary for one season for one player is the sort of money they are offering, where is this going to end?
It is already having an effect, though, with kids wondering around football matches in Al-Nassr shirts with Ronaldo displayed on the back. I wonder how many of them actually watch the games? I haven’t tuned into a game in the Saudi Pro-League yet.
There is a lot hypocrisy involved too. Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson regularly wore an LGBT armband when he played for the club, and then this summer he went over to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Ettifaq.
Henderson spoke on the move, and the backlash from the LGBT community.
That was the hardest thing. People will see this club come with loads of money and he’s just gone, “Yeah, I’m going.” When in reality that just wasn’t the case at all. People can believe me or not, but in my life and my career, money has never been a motivation. Ever. Don’t get me wrong, when you move, the business deal has to be tight. You have to have financials, you have to feel wanted, you have to feel valued. And money is a part of that. But that wasn’t the sole reason. And these possibilities came up before money was even mentioned.
Every day. It was a difficult time, definitely. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. It was just difficult to make that decision. I’d been at a club for so long, a club that I love and have a lot of respect for the fans, the owners, the manager, my team-mates — to leave my team-mates was a big thing. But in the end, I felt as though it was the right thing for them as well.
But from the outside and people who don’t know me, then it’s a lot more challenging to understand. There can be a lot of criticism, a lot of negativity around me as a person. And that was difficult to take. But I just feel as though, because I do care about different causes that I’ve been involved in, and different communities… I do care. And for people to criticise and say that I’d turned my back on them really, really hurt me.
So far, the general theme for Saudi clubs tends to be to purchase experienced players in their 30s that are reaching the end of their careers, and it has been argued that, by accepting the offer, what the players are doing is setting up their families for generations to come.
It isn’t just players though. Pundits are equally as hypocritical. For example, when Gary Neville was hosting satirical news quiz Have I Got News For You? back in November 2022, where captain Ian Hislop called the pundit and former footballer out on his hypocrisy.
Hislop: You’re commentating there, aren’t you?
Neville: Yeah, I am commentating there.
Hislop: And what’s the defence?
Neville: Well, you’ve got a choice, I think.
Hislop: What, going or not going?
Neville: My view always has been that you either highlight the issues and challenges in these countries and speak about them, or you basically don’t say anything and you stay back home and don’t go. I’ve always said we should challenge them.
Hislop: There’s another option. You stay at home and highlight the abuses. You don’t have to go and take the Qataris’ money.
And his point is valid. Money talks, and people become more hypocritical.
The BBC spent some time before the first game of the Qatar World Cup talking about the issues in the country, whilst their presenters were on megabucks in Qatar.
I struggle to recall, now, many people that talk about the issues in those countries, because of the quality of the World Cup. That matches up with sportswashing.
Will there be a similar debate in 2034 about the Saudi Arabia World Cup? Only time will tell. Should it have been there in the first place? That’s another debate, but it did seem a little suspicious that Saudi Arabia were the only team to bid in time, after Australia withdrew.
Mohammed Bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, said that “If sport washing is going to increase my GDP by way of 1%, then I will continue doing sport washing,” in an interview to Fox News.
It is evident that he knows the term, and it seems as if he is admitting it too.
Arguably, there is also an issue with other existing organisations. FIFA organises where the World Cup will be hosted, and chooses by way of a supposedly democratic process. However, there were a lot of allegations of bribery when the 2022 World Cup host was selected.
In other sports, such as Formula One, the FIA is in charge and decides where and when to schedule the races. There are regularly races in the Middle East and at other tracks with glitz and glamour, while other tracks that generally produce entertaining races fall by the wayside. Circuits in Abu Dhabi, Singapore or Saudi Arabia could continue without Formula One. Could Formula One continue without them? Maybe.
The allegations of sportswashing, corruption and greed over sporting value, integrity and entertainment are only going to get stronger as Saudi Arabia inevitably grows in the sporting industry.
The Middle East already has a stronghold on sport, and it is quite easy to understand the possibility of it becoming a monopoly in the near future.
