In an era of political instability and rising nationalist sentiments, international sporting events like the Olympics and FIFA World Cup are increasingly being used by states to promote their domestic values and infrastructure. They are seen as an effective tool for fostering national identity, promoting global cooperation and understanding, and as a vehicle to convey the country’s image to foreign audiences (Hoye et al 2022). Go here ค้นหาความสนุกที่สล็อตยูฟ่าเว็บตรง
The Impact of Political Decisions on Sports Events
The politics of sports events is complex as it involves a wide range of political actors – from individual athletes who confront discriminatory behaviour and advocate for social fairness to large international organisations that use their reach to shape the world of sport. The latter category of organisations – defined as Mega International Sports Organisations (ISOs) in this article – often present themselves as political neutrality guarantors. As a case study, this article analyses the political role of two of the most powerful ISOs in the world: the IOC and FIFA.
In this context, it is worth remembering that the decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar was largely a political one, as the state was seeking to demonstrate its ability to host such an event whilst also trying to legitimise itself by distancing itself from human rights abuses and corruption allegations in its home country (Al Jazeera 2015). This highlights the complexity of the relationship between sports and politics and demonstrates how calls to keep sport out of politics are merely empty rhetoric.
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