Geopolitics of Sport
Geopolitics of Sport
According to George Orwell, "Sport is war without gunfire." Contrasting with the idealism of the modern Olympic Games, which were supposed to bring people together in a supranational spirit, 20th-century sporting events were an extension of geopolitical clashes between states. So much so that the world of sport serves as an excellent barometer of the state of the world and the forces at play.
In 1945, George Orwell wrote: "Sport is war without gunfire." The 20th century proves the extent to which sport, since its entry into modernity, has taken on a political and geopolitical dimension.
Olympism, revived by Pierre de Coubertin, displayed the ambition of bringing people together in a supranational spirit.
Yet, sporting events have emerged as the arena of rivalries between nations.
As sport gained media coverage throughout the 20th century, it became an excellent barometer of the state of the world.
In the aftermath of the First World War, deep-seated grudges led to the exclusion of defeated countries from the 1920 Olympic Games and international football competitions.
Exclusion from international sports competitions, followed by the use of boycotts, became veritable political sanctions.
The 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games are a good example.
The Suez Canal Crisis, the Budapest uprising, which was bloodily suppressed by the USSR, and Taiwan's participation led several states to withdraw from the competition.
The boycotts of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games were geopolitical weapons used by the United States and the USSR during the Cold War.
The conflict between the blocs continues in the stadiums where athletes from the East and West compete to demonstrate the superiority of their respective models.
Geopolitical tensions between two states are often palpable on the fields.
They manifest themselves in backstabbing, insults, and even clashes between competitors and fans.
An extreme example is the so-called "football war" that broke out in 1969 between Honduras and El Salvador following a heated and deadly qualifying match between the two countries for the 1970 World Cup.
While these matches were not the cause of the conflict, they triggered it.
Sports can also be a factor in calming the situation.
This is how "cricket diplomacy" between India and Pakistan was referred to when relations between these rival countries were at a standstill in the 1960s and 1970s.
Only cricket matches helped to thaw the situation.
Sport can also serve the cause of undermined national identities by allowing them to be visible on the international stage.
There are 209 national football teams registered with FIFA, while only 194 countries have an official existence.
Teams from Palestine, the Faroe Islands, Anguilla, and Guam are all countries that have no UN registration.
Sport can also become, for a time, a national bond.
The 1995 Rugby World Cup marked the international baptism of post-Apartheid South Africa.
By putting a country or city in the global spotlight, international competitions are a way to assert oneself in the world.
Totalitarian regimes have vividly demonstrated the propaganda dimension of sport.
The second FIFA World Cup, hosted by Italy in 1934, and then the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936, were conceived, experienced, and used as demonstrations of power by the organizers.
Today, in a clearly different spirit, the emerging powers of the 21st century are using sport as a showcase for their success and ambitions.
The host cities and countries recently chosen to organize major sporting events thus reveal the new balance of power on the global stage.
The Beijing Olympics in 2008, the Sochi Olympics in 2014, the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010, Brazil in 2014, and Russia in 2018.
Among these new players, Qatar stands out in particular, making sport the main instrument of its strategy of influence and influence.
Doha Tennis Tournament, Masters Golf, Handball World Cup in 2015, Cycling World Cup in 2016, Football World Cup in 2022, World Athletics Championships in 2019, and a stated ambition to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix and the Olympic Games.
Not only is the emirate attracting more and more international competitions, but it is also becoming a key player in the new world of sport, thanks to its considerable investments in sponsorship, media, and clubs.