Russia has hosted several international sports events in the past few years and won domestic applause for President Vladimir Putin, but the Russian leader ordered an attack on Ukraine, and the sports world has imposed sanctions one after another. The decision could dent its popularity. But there are also people who are skeptical of the impact of sports sanctions.
Russia hosted the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014 and the FIFA World Cup in 2018, and hosting important sports events has become a powerful tool for the Moscow authorities to shape Russia’s global image.
However, the Russian army invaded Ukraine on the 24th, triggering sanctions from Western countries in many fields; St. Petersburg, Russia was revoked the right to host the 2022 UEFA Champions League final; Gazprom and the European Football Association (European Football Association) UEFA)’s sponsorship deal, which is said to be worth 40 million euros a year, has also been questioned.
Formula One’s Russian Grand Prix has been canceled; there are now calls to kick the Russian national team out of the 2022 World Cup play-offs.
Hugh Robertson, chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA), said that a full-scale sports boycott could affect Putin’s position in Russia. “Sports are extremely important to authoritarian regimes.” He added that the team’s right to participate is in doubt. will deal a heavy blow to Russia.
“Sport has always had a huge impact on society,” Michael Payne, a former head of marketing for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), told AFP. He cited the shift in apartheid policies in South Africa as an example, saying a sports boycott was comparable to economic sanctions. , the former may be even worse.
“Putin may not care what the rest of the world thinks of him, but he has to care what the Russian people think of him,” Paine said.
“Without the support of the people, the game is over, and the actions of the sports world could have a very important impact on the Russian people.”
Russian men’s tennis player Andrey Rublev wrote “Please, no war” in front of the camera after winning the match a few days ago; football player Fedor Smolov, who has represented Russia in 45 games, is also in the news Mass media “Say no to war”.
“Russian athletes speaking out to their domestic fans will only further prompt the local population to question the actions of the (national) leadership and undermine popular support for the war,” Paine said.
However, Terrence Burns, another former International Olympics marketing executive, is skeptical of the sport’s influence.
“(The idea that sports action can have an impact) is assuming that Russians do see, read and hear ‘real news’. I don’t think that’s the case. The (Russian) government will shape Russia as the US and the West dominate the world. Victim of a major conspiracy.”
Sadly, athletes must also be punished for the aggressive actions of their national governments, Burns said. Robertson said it was “morally incomprehensible” to allow Russians to compete when Ukrainians could not compete because of the fighting in their homeland.
“The political, economic and trade sanctions (imposed) over the past few days have clearly hurt the West and Russia, but that’s a price we have to pay for greater good,” Robertson said.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will hit sports, but the consequences of inaction or prevarication will be much worse.”
Responsible editor: Yu Weining
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