Saudi Arabian Sports Minister denies claims of using “sportswashing” ahead of plans to bid for Olympics

Saudi Arabia is eyeing a bid to host the Olympics down the road, stating they are more than equipped to hold an event of such grandeur. The Arab nation will host the Asian Games in 2034 and while that is the focus for now, Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal made mention of bigger goals for the future.

“We’re open to discuss with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) about this (Olympics) for the future. I think Saudi Arabia has showcased that we can host such events,” Al-Faisal stated following a heavyweight boxing match in his country between Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk and Great Britain’s Anthony Joshua on Sunday.

The fight in Jeddah came just after the United Nations shared their disgust for a 34-year prison sentence handed down by the Saudi court to Salma al-Shehab, a doctorate student in Great Britain who was convicted of aiding dissidents seeking to “disrupt public order” by sharing their tweets.

This case did not mark the first time the Saudi government has received criticism for their harsh punishments and behavior. In 2018, U.S. journalist, Jamal Khashoggi was murdered when he walked into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. While there are still conflicting reports of why Khashoggi was murdered, many believe it was an order passed down from high ranking officials due to his dissent against the Saudi government.

While Saudi Arabia may have sights set on hosting bigger sporting events in the future, the nation has often been accused of “sportswashing,” a term used for an individual, group or government who uses sports to distract from bigger controversial issues within the organization or nation.

Sports Minister Al-Faisal objected to the accusations and stated, “We’re progressing, we’re moving towards a better society, we’re moving towards a better quality of life, a better country, for the future,” he said.

As Saudi Arabia tries to grow its popularity in the sports world, including hosting an F1 race the past two years, they have also joined the LIV Golf movement which has attracted big names to the tour like Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson. While the new golf tour, bankrolled by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, is creating a divide between LIV golfers and PGA Tour golfers, Al-Faisal doesn’t understand the problem.

“If it benefits the athletes, if it benefits the sport, attracts more attention to the sport, attracts more people that want to participate in the sport, that will grow the sport for everyone.”

Perhaps he has a point in regards to golf, but if the country is using sportswashing to hide or distract from their human rights issues, their chances of hosting the Olympics will plummet.

For now, Saudi Arabia denies their participation in the practice, but there are over ten years between now and the Asian Games and over ten years between now and a chance for them to host the next open Summer Olympics in 2036. If the criticism continues, it is doubtful that the world will see an Olympics on Saudi soil in the next two decades.