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Sportswashing

Using sports to improve reputations

  • 20 min read
  • 6 chapters

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At the international level, it is believed that sportswashing has been used to direct attention away from poor human rights records and corruption scandals. 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.

Overview

Internationally, sportswashing has been described as part of a country's soft power. The first usage of the term "sportswashing" may have been applied to Azerbaijan and its hosting of the 2015 European Games in Baku.

Gulf states accused of sportswashing have been the most vocal in attempting to dismiss these claims, often arguing that they simply want to enjoy sporting events in their home countries or attract new investments. These accused parties often say that sporting boycotts and event relocation are both unfair to sporting fans and are ineffective in changing government policy. In the case of Formula One, the league has even argued that "the sport is better able to effect change by visiting these countries and holding them to commitments they have made that are legally binding." The 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia has been cited as an example of a government's attempt to tackle the country's negative global reputation, which was low due to the Kremlin's aggressive foreign policy, with the sporting event attempting to redirect the international community's attention away from Russia's crimes and atrocities in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria, and Ukraine to the success of the World Cup.

Companies accused of sportswashing include Ineos's sponsorship of professional cycling's Team Sky (now the Ineos Grenadiers) in 2019, and Arabtec's sponsorship of Manchester City F.C.

A key characteristic of sportswashing is the very costly efforts parties must undertake as it is not just about getting the rights to an event but building the infrastructure to hold these games. For example, leading up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup the host country Qatar, the smallest country to ever host the World Cup, invested around $220 billion into luxury accommodations, expanded transport networks, and stadiums to prepare. In March 2021, human rights organization Grant Liberty said that Saudi Arabia alone has spent at least $1.5 billion on its own alleged sportswashing activities.

As a counterview, some academic observers have argued that the term sportswashing is sometimes used by some as an overly simplistic label to selectively critique foreign governments they oppose creating a double standard that masks their own political biases.

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