Sport and politics have never been separate. Why start now?
From Tom Hunt, Associate Director at Purpose Union.
“Politics and sport, as much as we love to keep them apart, will always be inextricably linked” said Gary Lineker on the BBC’s coverage of Argentina vs Poland in the football World Cup.
It would be safe to assume this was referring to the controversy surrounding the recently concluded competition, which Argentina went on to win. However, it was actually about Poland’s “golden generation” and the political tensions from their match against the USSR at the 1982 World Cup.
The link between sports and politics is something that some sporting bodies are quick to distance themselves from but that is far from the truth. From leaders in the ancient Roman and Greek empires through to Macron’s awkward attempts at consoling the French national football team, throughout history politicians have seeked to use sport to enhance their influence.
States have identified sport’s cultural influence as a way of gaining soft power. This trend, otherwise known as “sportswashing”, has had a particularly strong year and most recently been attributed to the Qatar World Cup. Amid high profile scrutiny of human rights abuses, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) bought Newcastle United FC and also created a new landmark golf competition – LIV Golf. Earlier this year, China hosted the Winter Olympics amid international condemnation of the Uyghur genocide. Russia infamously held the last football World Cup and oligarchs such as Roman Abramovic had invested in football teams across Europe.
Equally, some sports have previously been criticised for the types of companies that sponsor matches or events. The gambling industry has been under fire recently for its presence in all sports, and the impact it has on both minors and people struggling with addiction. Health experts have also criticised the prominence of fast food and sugary drink sponsorships in some of the world’s biggest events.
During the recent football World Cup, Purpose Union brought together a group of sports executives and fans to discuss the relationship between sport, politics and corporate purpose. On the one hand, there was an acceptance that sports have limits to their power. In the case of global sports, countries involved will represent a broad spectrum of political views and sponsorships are required to fund the growth of their respective games.
However, this should not be used as an excuse for sports to be used as a PR exercise. And while sports cannot change a country’s politics, athletes, teams and brand sponsors can use their influence to positively shape social change.
Firstly, sporting bodies should allow athletes to express their voice. FIFA made a mistake by not allowing teams to support LGBTQ+ communities; it makes the campaign to include social messages on captain’s armbands across the tournament completely tokenistic. In contrast, Lewis Hamilton was allowed to wear a rainbow helmet in Qatar and Saudi Arabia to show his solidarity. This shows that athletes can make powerful supportive statements while competing in countries that might not want them to. Sporting bodies should use their political influence to protect sports stars under fire for promoting social messages. This has taken on a life-threatening urgency amid reports that Iran is planning to execute one of its footballers for using his voice to support the women's rights protests in the country. Brands can also use their financial muscle to defend the athletes they sponsor when they are criticised for promoting such messages.
Accountability is key. It should not be up to the players and fans to make a moral decision about whether they should compete in or watch their favourite sports. A fit-and-proper test should be developed across sports to ensure that individual nations are ready to host an international tournament. Criteria such as existing infrastructure and human rights records should be considered within that. Brands should also be held accountable for how they are using sponsorships, and whether they align with their own social purpose.
Finally, decision-makers should listen to athletes and fans. There is no way of gauging how people actually feel until you understand where the sentiment actually lies. Without listening, sporting bodies cannot say they are speaking on behalf of people playing their game and brands cannot effectively align their social missions with the sports they are sponsoring. In turn, this will help players and fans feel valued and they are more likely to champion their sports’ social value.
Sport could influence so much for the better if people spent less time arguing about whether it can be political, and more time focusing on how it can drive social change.
Tom is a media relations expert with a broad range of experiences helping companies and NGOs with external messaging, issue positioning and communications strategies. He has worked across a number of issues including climate change, food systems change, diversity and inclusion and ESG.
Purpose Union is a specialist social purpose strategy firm that works with clients to develop compelling arguments, build powerful coalitions, and devise winning campaigns to change the world for good.
Get in touch to find out more about how Purpose Union could support you: tom.hunt@purposeunion.com.