The year 1936 has gone down in European history as the year of the Berlin Olympics under Nazi Germany. Three years before the outbreak of the Second World War, these Olympic Games were seen by Hitler as a propaganda tool to send a strong message to the world: Aryans are superior athletes. This belief was rooted in the eugenics theory that racial superiority could be explained by genetics. Of course, eugenics is at the heart of Nazi ideology and these Olympic Games of the past were the ideal opportunity to prove the hegemony of Aryan athletes; and thus defend the relevance of this ideology. However, African American athletes enjoyed enormous success in 1936, in particular Jesse Owens, famous for being the first African-American athlete to win four gold medals at the same Olympic Games. His success also left its mark on history, as Adolf Hitler refused to acknowledge Owens’ victories or shake his hand. Indeed, this famous episode, experienced as a humiliation by Hitler, underlines a major theme in sports and politics: the instrumentalization of sports by authoritarian regimes.

 But why is this so important today? Sports have been, and still are, an important form of soft power used by authoritarian and democratic rulers all over the world. In this article, I will attempt to analyze the limits and dangers of the instrumentalization of sports by authoritarian states and propose a broader description of sports as an effective geopolitical weapon for democratic states.

What does “Authoritarianism” really mean ?

Authoritarianism is a vague concept to a lot of folks. Its true meaning is poorly understood, yet roughly 40% of the world’s countries are ruled by an authoritarian leader. Simply put, authoritarianism is a political system whose main objective is to maintain the power of the ruler, come what may. regimes ignore the rule of law and democratic principles and their mandate does not depend on the consent of the people. To stay in power, authoritarian leaders use a range of strategies, from violent coercion to propaganda. Sports are a soft power tool used by authoritarian rulers to convey an ideology. But is this method effective? ? 

Firstly, sports bring people together and help build a nation. Secondly, it promotes the state’s official ideology and reinforces authoritarian narratives of national greatness. These characteristics are particularly true of totalitarian states such as Nazi Germany or present-day North Korea, whose ultimate goal is to create a utopia. In this sense, sports can be a vehicle for the state sponsored ideology. Nevertheless, sport is not always used as a means of conveying an ideology, and many authoritarian states see it simply as an effective weapon, an extension of the state’s political and economic power.

Sport and Authoritarianism: Dangers and Limits? 

These days, sports are primarily a revenue platform for authoritarian states. Several Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, are increasingly financially involved in all kinds of sports, particularly soccer and Formula 1. In 2024, sports are attracting considerable attention and have become a global phenomenon that appeals to more and more people. The amount of money invested in and the revenues generated by the sports market are increasing rapidly, with an expected growth in revenues of over 60% by 2028. However, as sports revenues rise, so does the economic cost of hosting sporting events. 

A common trend has been observed over the past decade: unstable democracies and authoritarian states are increasingly hosting major sporting events. These states are often oil-rich countries such as Qatar, Bahrain or Saudi Arabia. As explained previously, these states use sports to convey broader political messages and achieve popular cohesion. Unfortunately, staging major events such as Formula 1 races, the World Cup or boxing matches, is financially draining and does not always benefit the economy as a whole. In fact, in many cases financing global sporting events ends up creating a greater financial burden for the population. For example, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar cost 220 billion American dollars, a huge sum that will take decades to repay, and has contributed to  the financial disparities within the country.

The protection of human rights is another major concern when it comes to authoritarian regimes hosting sporting events. In fact, most authoritarian countries lack the appropriate infrastructure and facilities to host sporting events, so they usually build these infrastructures from scratch, specifically for the events in question. Construction is often very intensive and these regimes do not hesitate to violate international laws. Most recently, Qatar, which hosted the 2022 World Cup, was targeted by numerous international organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Right Watch over the abuses committed against migrant workers and the hundreds of workers injured during the construction of half a dozen brand-new stadiums in the space of just a few years. The Qatari government has denied most of the allegations. Therefore, Qatar’s problematic situation has given rise to a real debate on the legitimacy of authoritarian regimes hosting such sporting events. 

But Why should Democratic States Care?

Colossal amounts of money are involved in hosting major sporting events, often creating significant conflicts of interest. Despite the mobilization of athletes and humanitarian organizations to denounce the abuses of host countries, democratic states have often turned a blind eye to the issue of sports in authoritarian countries. Recently, the situation has changed somewhat with the resumption of war in Ukraine. The Russian invasion of Ukraine represents the biggest ground war in Europe since  World War II. In this context, sports represents one of the many points of tension in the conflict. Sport became a veritable soft power weapon, helping to raise Russia’s profile. 

Since 2022, many Russian athletes have been denied the right to take part in sporting competitions, with the aim of penalizing Russian “soft power” and sending a strong message of support for Ukraine. One of the first victims was tennis player Danil Medvedev, who was unable to take part in a number of major tennis tournaments, including Wimbledon 2023. Despite being ranked No. 2 in the world, Medvedev and his fellow Russians and Belarusians were banned from that year’s Wimbledon. Similarly, the Russian and Belarusian delegations were banned from taking part in the 2024 Paris Olympics, a heavy sanction seen as a humiliation by both countries. Nevertheless, sports seem to be increasingly used by many as a way to condemn injustice and punish acts of impunity. For instance, Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has repeatedly spoken out to call out Formula 1’s involvement with authoritarian and repressive regimes such as Saudi Arabia, which fail to respect human rights.

With all that said, the financial and ideological stakes of sports make it a powerful weapon for sanctioning authoritarian states and defending liberal democratic ideals, notably the protection of human rights and freedom of expression. The current state of Putin’s war in Ukraine transcends any concept of human justice and in this context, the instrumentalization of sports to attack Russia’s image and soft power seems more than appropriate. While the intersection between sports and geopolitics is not intuitive, it is essential to understanding complex power dynamics. As guardians of democratic values, it is imperative that democratic states reclaim sports as a platform to oppose oppression, foster international solidarity and lead a global commitment to justice and human dignity.

Studies such as those done by media marketing company Nielsen have made it apparent that social media has no doubt allowed for significant expansion of access to information. This access allows people to connect with some of their more niche hobbies. Not only are these sports becoming more popular but it also attracts more growth strategies such as more sponsorships. 

TikTok has been a successful conduit for this access to information. People will become interested in topics they have never heard of before because the algorithm just happened to show them a video on the subject. There have been two major revelations from TikTok regarding niche sports. The first is that there are sports that I have never heard of, like Professional Face Slapping. The second is the significant expansion of previously niche sports, like Esports. 

Face slapping, originating in Russia, involves two competitors taking turns slapping each other across the face until one person surrenders or is knocked out. While the sport has generated controversy due to its violent nature, it has also gained a loyal following online and now has its own world championship event.

Esports, or competitive video gaming, has exploded in popularity in recent years. Millions of people tune in to watch professional gamers compete in games like League of Legends, Fortnite and Dota 2. Esports has become a legitimate industry, with tournaments offering millions of dollars in prize money. Professional teams and players can even find sponsorship deals with major brands.

Niche sports also serve as a way to preserve traditions and history. For example, jousting, rooted in medieval times, may seem like a relic of the past. However, jousting is still alive and well today thanks to a dedicated community of enthusiasts who compete in tournaments around the world.

In the end, niche sports remind us of the limitless potential of human creativity and ingenuity. They allow us to push the boundaries of what we believe is possible and inspire us to discover new worlds and experiences. So, the next time you are looking for something new and exciting, consider trying a niche sport – you never know what you might discover.

In August of 2020, Aleksei Navalny was poisoned. Navalny blames the Kremlin for the attempt on his life, as he has been the most prominent face of opposition to President Vladimir Putin. Now, after Navalny was detained upon his return to Russia Jan. 17, Russia is alight in protests.

Navalny and the Kremlin have a turbulent history. Navalny is an anti-corruption campaigner. Over the years, he has released scores of information and reports exposing Putin’s corruption in Russia. He’s been convicted on criminal charges of embezzlement and fraud, claiming the convictions were politically motivated. Navalny had planned to run against Putin in 2018, but the convictions prevented him from doing so. The larger convictions are surrounded by smaller charges for protests. While the Kremlin despises the face of their opposition, the public largely supports Navalny with millions of young Russians following him on social media. 

However, not everyone supports Navalny’s claims and evidence of a corrupted Russia as he has been targeted with zelyonka, an antiseptic green dye, which caused Navalny chemical burns to the eyes. When serving a jail sentence in 2019, he was diagnosed with contact dermatitis, and his doctor suggested he had been exposed to a toxic agent. 

While Navalny has been a prominent figure in Russia for years, his name first started circulating to a wider audience when he was poisoned in 2020. He was flying back to Moscow from Siberia and had breakfast at the airport: a cup of tea. Shortly into the flight, his plane made an emergency landing in Omsk, and he was promptly hospitalized. 

After being transported to Berlin still in critical condition, Navalny started to recover, remaining in Germany for five months. Navalny and his team, as well as the German officials responsible for harboring Navalny, claimed that the Kremlin was behind the poisoning, an accusation that has been repeatedly denied. 

The German military scientists determined that Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent that could only have been produced in a highly secure laboratory. Details about how Navalny was poisoned are still uncertain, but it has been suggested that Navalny ingested the substance before his flight, most likely in his morning tea. 

While he recovered in Germany, Navalny’s name fell off the map until Jan. 17 when he returned to Russia. He always intended to return. Making good on those intentions, he was promptly arrested at the airport after his arrival. 

He was detained due to the term violations of his 2014 money-laundering conviction, although Navalny claims that conviction was illegitimate. He was sentenced to 30 days to await his trial. The trial in early February resulted in Navalny receiving a 2 year, 8-month sentence. 

Navalny’s airport arrest took place under the eyes of his supporters, who had been awaiting his arrival, and their cell phone cameras. Since his arrest, protesters have taken to the streets. The rallies and protests have been nationwide, and thousands of people using Navalny as their symbol to combat Russian corruption. Since 2014, demonstrations without authority permission have been punishable by fines or detainment, but that knowledge isn’t stopping the Navalny protesters. 

The protesters want change. Ivan, a protester in Yakutsk stated, “I am tired of the despotism and lawlessness of authorities. No questions have been answered. I want clarity, openness, and change. This is what made me come here.” 

“I understand that I live in a totally lawless state. In a police state, with no independent courts. In a country ruled by corruption. I would like to live differently,” stated another protester in Moscow. 

The chants at the protests ring out as the demonstrators meet lines of police decked out in riot gear. Thousands of protesters have been detained, some days seeing up to 5,000 new detainees. But the protesters haven’t stopped coming. 

The Kremlin has been cracking down. With the Navalny protests being widespread enough to span Russia’s 11 time zones, the Kremlin has had to use all of its best tactics. The government is using COVID-19 to claim demonstration restrictions while also relying on the previously placed laws against sanctioned rallies. Navalny’s team has been directly targeted. 

As a result, Navalny’s brother and several other key allies have been put under house arrest with no internet access, so as to not be able to organize any more demonstrations. Navalny’s other team members have been facing arrest. Police tactics have also been implemented with a lockdown of Moscow’s city center and the use of cordons to break protesters into smaller groups. 

The treatment of the protesters has become increasingly brutal, with police beating and tasing protesters. Intimidations and threats have also been used to try and discourage people from gathering. The mass detainments of protesters, to the point where detention facilities ran out of space, were also attempts at quelling the protests.

While Navalny’s allies put a pause on the street protests after the mass detainments, supporters held candle-lit gatherings on Valentine’s Day. They used their mobile phones as torches and arranged candles in the shape of a heart. The gatherings were small, but social media was flooded with pictures and the hashtag “#loveisstrongerthanfear” in Russian.

Trump gave the order to fire Mueller to White House Counsel Donald F. McGahn II. McGahn refused to send the message to the Justice Department and threatened to resign. He claimed that firing Mueller would cause catastrophic damage to the presidency. Trump subsequently backed off of the idea of firing Mueller. He dismissed the accusation that he attempted to fire Mueller as “fake news.”

Mueller’s investigation into whether the Trump Administration obstructed justice and the Russia investigation involve McGahn, as he was involved in many of Trump’s decisions that led to the investigation, such as firing Comey. McGahn believed that firing Mueller would lead to more questions concerning whether the White House is attempting to obstruct justice in the Russia investigation.

Trump’s lawyers uncovered that Mueller’s prosecutors donated to Democrats, despite Mueller’s being a Republican. This accusation that Mueller hired Democrats to investigate Trump’s ties to Russia is unsubstantiated. Nevertheless, it provided Trump with a potential reason to fire Mueller. Trump considered firing Rosenstein and replacing him with U.S. Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand to oversee the Russia investigation. Trump has reduced his attacks on Mueller since he hired Ty Cobb, a veteran Washington lawyer. He met Mueller during their early days in the Justice Department. Cobb encouraged Trump to work with Mueller, a highly respected former FBI Director and prosecutor.

Mueller can subpoena anyone to testify negating Trump’s ties to Russia. Cobb stated that the White House should cooperate with Mueller.

Trump was concerned with the Russia investigation when he fired Comey. He became enraged when Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself and Comey refused to stop his investigation. Trump stated that he would fire Mueller if he looked into Trump’s personal finances, but Mueller is authorized to look into anything that could be related to Trump’s alleged Russia ties and obstruction of justice. Republicans have attempted to attack Mueller’s credibility. Trump has agreed to treat investigation fairly but insisted that there was no collusion. Trump has said that he is willing to meet with Mueller under oath to discuss the Russia investigation, but those close to Trump advise otherwise.

Mueller has interviewed various individuals for his investigation. They include MI6 agent Christopher Steele, who created the Steele Dossier, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner, former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. His interviews with various White House staffers resulted in indictments of former campaign manager Paul Manafort and campaign official Rick Gates on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and other various financial charges such as unregistered foreign financial accounts and making false statements again the U.S. The expected next steps in the investigation are to meet with Trump and compile charges ranging from money laundering to obstruction of justice. Mueller will gain necessary information from Trump to continue to build his case.

Photo courtesy of The Atlantic.