Opinion analysis by Annabelle Ghanem, Staff Writer

April 27th, 2020

With an overwhelming reach spreading across every nation, society, race and gender, the vast realm of sports has lured almost the entirety of the human race into its world. It has provided them with a sweet escape filled with excitement, thrill and anticipation. Sports has offered us a platform for unity and participation, allowing individuals coming from different corners of our planet to showcase their various talents, reminding us that nationality is but a micro unifying factor. Over the course of decades, the involvement of an individual within the realm of sports has increased possibilities for social interaction, family bonding, and the acquirement of productive hobbies for all age groups. Whether your interests lie on a painted grass field, an ice-cold rink, or simply behind a television screen, sports have managed to swerve their way into our everyday lives, influencing it in unrecognizable ways. However, the impact of the jerseys you wear, the games you watch, and the sports you play, is far deeper beyond the scope of thrill and excitement. Although the realm of sports has continuously been utilized as a distraction from the menacing world we live in, it is not at all separate. In fact, sports have played a defining role in our political world since their very creation: changing the course of nations, founding international alliances, and appeasing the masses. They have placed their hands on various economies, aided minorities, and promoted ideologies, using none other than our deep involvement. With that being said, do you really know just how politically involved you are?

The underlying political gain generated from sports has been a contributing factor to many industry-based decisions. Hosting international tournaments, such as a World Cup or Olympics, provides the nation with endless opportunities to promote or portray a message of great significance to their political agenda. A few years before the devastating second World War, Hitler’s Nazi regime had hosted the 1936 Olympics, a shocking occurrence considering the party’s stances on diversity. Why would Hitler be willing to host such a multinational pool of athletes within his authoritarian borders? For the ultimate goal of political influence. The Olympics were hosted by Germany for two reasons; for the promotion of the “dominant” Aryan race and antisemitism ideology preached by the Nazi regime, as well as to appease the International Community while Hitler contemplated his next move towards world domination. This put forth a rather uncommon perspective as to why auctions for hosting such tournaments generate millions upon millions of dollars. The more attention a nation acquires, the further their political message will travel, and what better platform to influence our multinational world than an entertaining sporting event?

In reality, we play the role of unconscious pawns in the personal games of players within the international community.

With that being said, the most common political tool used within the realm of sports is the concept of soft power - glorifying an individual’s perception pertaining to a specific nation utilizing economic and cultural propaganda. The difficult yet influential use of soft power aims to attract individuals rather than intimidate them. We see this quite often in the realm of sports in forms of sports diplomacy, extravagant opening and closing ceremonies, international events, and much more. The proper use of soft power could potentially lead to exponential growth in areas of tourism and education, promote ideologies and cultural traditions, showcase values and uniqueness, and further economic and political relations. With an economy not nearly as prevalent as that of present day, the nation of China hosted the 2008 Beijing Olympics, relying on the use of soft power to further their political stance within the international community. They aimed to promote their unique culture and values, while advertising their widespread economic opportunities found in and out of its borders. Ultimately, the great nation of China’s strategy led to an influx of foreign investment and involvement in the Chinese market, as well as an expansion of Chinese values and cultural norms into various different cultures and societies.

On a national scale, many governments utilize sports to expand the inclusion of minorities in society, promoting the image of diversity and tolerance to the international community. Sports have played an impactful role in combating racial stigmas and prompting nations to begin advancing past certain inequalities of their time.

Known for their Ginga magic, the Brazilian national football team made remarkable steps in 1938, providing slots on that year’s World Cup squad to two Afro-Brazilian players, Domingos da Guia and Leonidas da Silva, completely changing the country’s sports scene. Although the Brazilians came in 3 rd place that year, Leonidas was the top scorer of the 1938 world cup, proving that skin color does not define skill, and opening the door for more inclusivity, and future Afro-Brazilian all-stars such as Pele and Ronaldinho, who’ve carried their nation through five world cup victories. On the other hand, despite being tools for unification, sports have also served as tools for racism. The inclusion of Afro-Brazilian players, at that point in history, provided easy targets to pin blame on when victory had slipped through their fingers, corelating the black skin color to lack of competence, and ultimately questioning the involvement of Afro-Brazilians within aspects such as history, society, and especially sports. This is where our greatest form of involvement lies. We, the viewers, the fans of the sports realm, get to determine whether our admiration is directed towards competence and skill or ethnicity and origin. Our support for the beautiful sports we watch and play, as well as the players who remind us just how much we love the game we partake in, strengthens the opposing front against powerful ideas that have dominated discrimination and injustice across the globe.

Therefore, I encourage whomever reads this piece to not only entertain a different perspective in the world of sports, but most importantly acknowledge the impact our minimal actions have over the course of much greater agendas. We often undermine our significance in the circle of life, but our importance lies way beneath our own acquired knowledge. And often enough, politicians take advantage of our inability to look passed the micro scale, and manipulate us on the greater scope. We owe it to ourselves to be more educated on the impact we have on our surroundings and vice versa, for whether we choose to be or not, we aren’t involved in politics. We are politics.