Sport and politics should be kept as far apart as possible
- It is inevitable that big sports events will be used to make political points or further certain agendas. But sport offers an opportunity to bring nations – and their peoples – together instead of driving them further apart
Sport and politics do not mix. Sadly, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep them apart.
The war in Ukraine and broader global tensions, including differences between China and the West, have created challenges for those competing in and organising international sporting events.
China raised concerns with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on May 6. Premier Li Qiang met IOC chief Thomas Bach in Beijing and stressed that China is ready to “work with the IOC to oppose the politicisation of sport”.
This was a rare public statement on the issue and the first since the Beijing Winter Olympics last year. The games were hit with a diplomatic boycott by the US and some other nations over alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang.
China tells IOC of concerns about ‘politicising’ sport
Beijing has strenuously denied the claims. The playing of a protest song instead of China’s national anthem at sports events involving Hong Kong and the potential use of the Taiwan flag at international events are also said to be concerns.
China supports the IOC’s decision to open a pathway for individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in events under a neutral banner as the war in Ukraine continues. This includes the Summer Olympics in Paris next year.
In February 2022, the IOC had recommended a ban on the athletes competing, but many sports including tennis, cycling and ice hockey now allow them to participate.
The IOC’s decision has been criticised by a coalition of 30 nations, including the United States. But the ban on individuals, rather than countries, was clearly discriminatory. It was condemned by two United Nations Special Rapporteurs as a flagrant breach of human rights.
Sport has the potential to project a nation’s soft power. It often involves a lot of money. Top sporting events have increasingly become a target for highlighting various causes.
This applied to football’s World Cup in Qatar last year, with issues raised including the country’s labour rights and those of sexual minorities. The world of golf is divided over a new big-money tour backed by Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund. And in England last week, there was debate about the booing of the country’s national anthem by fans in Liverpool.
Olympics chief Bach ‘faces dilemma over Russian athletes’
It is inevitable that big sports events, with their global appeal, will be used to make political points or further certain agendas. But every effort should be made to ensure that, so far as possible, sport and politics are kept apart.
Sport offers an opportunity to bring nations – and their peoples – together. There is no room for discrimination. The core Olympic values are excellence, friendship and respect.
Sport, whether people participate or spectate, offers a welcome escape from the world’s problems. Long may international events continue and individuals be free to compete.
