Sportswashing is a term used to describe the practice of nations, individuals, groups, corporations, or governments using sports to improve reputations tarnished by wrongdoing. A form of propaganda, sportswashing can be accomplished through hosting sporting events, purchasing, or sponsoring sporting teams, or participating in a sport.[1]
At the international level, it is believed that sportswashing has been used to direct attention away from poor human rights records and corruption scandals.[2] At the individual and corporate levels, it is believed that sportswashing has been used to cover up vices, crimes, and scandals. Sportswashing is an example of reputation laundering.
Internationally, sportswashing has been described as part of a country's soft power.[3][4][5][6] The first usage of the term "sportswashing" may have been applied to Azerbaijan and its hosting of the 2015 European Games in Baku.[7]
People from countries accused of sportswashing[which?] often argue that they simply want to enjoy sporting events in their home countries, or to either compete in better environments, and that sporting boycotts and event relocation are both unfair to sporting fans and are ineffective in changing government policy.[8][unreliable source?] The 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia has been cited as an example to tackle the country's global reputation, which was low due to its foreign policy and the sporting event changed the focus of discussions to the success of the World Cup.[9]
Sportswashing is often very costly. For example, in March 2021, human rights organization Grant Liberty said that Saudi Arabia alone has spent at least $1.5 billion on alleged sportswashing activities.[12][13]
Hosting
Basketball
Philippine President Bongbong Marcos in a courtesy call with members of the FIBA Central Board on 28 April 2023 the day before the Drawing Ceremony.
Danish esports organization, RFRSH Entertainment and Riot Games both signing a deal to develop Saudi Arabia's NEOM project and boost esports in the region.[60] Riot ended up scrapping the partnership after facing intense backlash from fans and their employees.[61][62]
Hong Kong-based insurance company AIA Group sponsorship of English football club Tottenham Hotspur. AIA Group endorsed the Hong Kong national security law in 2020, which was condemned by several British politicians who demanded the club to drop the sponsorship.[123]
The Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, Public Investment Fund sponsored the LIV Golf in 2021. Human rights organizations criticized Saudi Arabia for sportwashing its image through the tournament. Human Rights Watch also wrote a letter to LIV Golf urging the league to adopt a strategy that would minimize the risk of reputation laundering by the Saudi Arabian government.[127]
The Formula One team Haas F1 Team was sponsored by Uralkali, who also sponsors Haas' Russian driver Nikita Mazepin. Haas had severed ties with Uralkali and Mazepin due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.[137]
Controversial Indonesian conglomerate Bakrie Group ownership of Australian football club Brisbane Roar FC. In 2019, formed team administrator Joko Driyono was arrested by the Indonesian national police for destroying the evidence of match-fixing scandal.[153]
Russian businessmanMikhail Prokhorov ownership of NBA team Brooklyn Nets. Prokhorov was known to be a close ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin. In 2017, Prokhorov sold the team which was alleged to have been a request from Putin.[155] The team was later bought by Hong Kong businessman Joe Tsai. Tsai was previously criticized for his praise of China's restrictions on personal freedoms and expressing his support of Hong Kong national security law.[156]
The South Africa national cricket team held numerous tours dubbed as South African rebel tours around 1982–1990, defying sporting bodies' sanctions of numerous South African sport teams for participating in international sporting events. The tours have been regarded as part of the apartheid government's sporting propaganda.[158][159]
Cycling
There are numerous reports that 2020 Tour de France was used by problematic countries and companies to sportswash their tarnished reputation; the following teams have been accused of sportswashing during the event:[160]
Indian fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya's ownership of the Force IndiaFormula One team. Mallya's Force India team were accused by the Indian Enforcement Directorate that it was created for money laundering purposes.[157]
Brother of Venezuelan PSUV politician and BolibourgeoisieJesse Chacón, Arné Chacón ownership of stable in Florida called Gadu Racing Stable Corp and participation of horse racing in United States.[165]
Chechnya leader Ramzan Kadyrov ownership of horse Mourilyan which competed in Melbourne Cup horse racing. The participation has gained controversy in Australia. Australian Senator Bob Brown called the Australian government to quarantine the prize money as concern of money laundering.[166] and having runners in various meetings in the UK especially Royal Ascot
Kazakhstan has joined UEFA since 2002 and has also sponsored numerous sporting events in recent years.[168][169] Kazakhstan has been accused of being an authoritarian dictatorship due to its repression on dissidents and censorship of media, and that their UEFA membership association has also been under criticism as Kazakhstan has shared more commons with the authoritarian AFC than with more democratic UEFA due to the majority of Asian nations being authoritarian as contrast to European ones, which has gained headline after Kazakhstan become the first UEFA member after Belarus to send a national team (U-21) to play Russia since the invasion of Ukraine.[170][171][172] Additionally, FC Astana, a football project launched by the autocratic government of Nursultan Nazarbayev to gain foothold in Europe and justify its membership switch, was also seen as sportswashing.[173]
Myanmar has been recently allowed to host the 2022 AFF Championship and their clubs allowed to play home games in the 2023–24 AFC Cup despite grave human rights concerns in the aftermath of the Myanmar protests and massacres by the Tatmadaw on unarmed protesters.[174][175] Additionally, the AFC is also accused of sportswashing in support for the Tatmadaw, by denying the request of the Australian club Macarthur FC to play their away match against Burmese opponent Shan United F.C. in a neutral ground.[175]
^ abcdSikes, Michelle M; Rider, Toby C.; Llewellyn, Matthew P. (29 November 2021). Sport and Apartheid South Africa: Histories of Politics, Power, and Protest. Routledge. ISBN9781000488524.
^Manheim, Jarol (1990). "Rites of Passage: The 1988 Seoul Olympics as Public Diplomacy". The Western Political Quarterly. Western Political Science Association. 43 (2): 279–295. doi:10.2307/448367. JSTOR448367.
^"Prosciolti Galliani, Milan e Inter" (in Italian). Il Sole 24 Ore. 31 January 2008. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2020. it: Assolto perché il fatto non costituisce reato. [Acquitted because the act does not constitute a crime.]
^"Le Qatar sans limite". leparisien.fr (in French). 7 March 2012. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
^Puspaningrum, Bernadette Aderi (27 September 2021). "Kepemilikan Asing Brisbane Roar Bermasalah, Nama Joko Driyono dan Bakrie Dicatut" [Foreign Ownership of Brisbane Roar Deemed Troublesome, As Joko Driyono and Bakrie Name Was Put Under Spotlight]. Kompas.com (in Indonesian). Indonesia. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
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