Controversy on the World Stage

Major international sporting events are often riddled with controversy, and not all of it on the field. Not only does who hosts events like the Olympics and World Cup carry its own conundrums, but it has also frequently placed athletes in difficult positions that sometimes require them puzzle over more than their athletic performance. The 2022 World Cup hosted by Qatar was a prime example of the complexities that can arise. In the build-up to the event, groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accused Qatar of using forced labor, withholding or deducing the wages of foreign workers, and preventing these workers from leaving their jobs. Additionally, there were concerns related to attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community, with Khalid Salman, an ambassador for the Qatar World Cup, describing homosexuality as “damage in the mind” and “haram,” which 1in Arabic means “forbidden.” This varied concerns have led many to call for fans to boycott the event and led many teams and players to consider ways to raise awareness while competing. However, many of these never came to fruition, particularly for the athletes after penalties were threatened by FIFA. Many people take issue with international sporting bodies being granted host privileges. Host nations benefit from an extreme increase in tourism and international press, and many people see the selection of a host nation as an implied endorsement of that nation’s policies or its leaders' rhetoric. Proponents of the Qatar World Cup, and allowing controversial nations to host these events as a whole, point to the added exposure these sporting events bring to these issues, and can act as powerful platforms for athletes and other nations to bring awareness. Jesse Owens, the prolific track and field athlete, was able to win four gold medals in Nazi Germany and ruined Hitler’s plan to use the Olympics as a time to exemplify “Aryan” racial superiority. If a boycott of Qatar or the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany were to occur, these athletes would 2lose their platforms and not be able to advocate against racist, sexist, or homophobic policies in these nations. However, this can also thrust unwelcome attention on athletes who might simply want to focus on the culmination of their training and compete for their nation.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1.Is there a way to measure what nations are or aren’t “deserving” of hosting an international sporting event? If so, how?

2.To what extent should athletes be involved in deciding where they play? Who else should be involved in this process?

3.Are there other platforms besides international sporting events where a nation’s views might be given “voice”?

https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/11/10/qatar-world-cup-ambassadors-homophobic-comments-fuel-discrimination 1 https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-nazi-olympics-berlin-1936212