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Calls for boycotts of the 2022 FIFA World Cup have been growing from football clubs, supporters and players alike. Host nation Qatar has been accused of using this month’s event to gloss over its poor human rights record. Homosexuality is illegal in the Arab state, and thousands of Asian migrant workers have died in recent years.
Countries have already distanced themselves from the controversy in Qatar by refusing to screen games, or in Denmark’s case producing an all-black uniform to highlight the issues.
So how useful a tool is ‘sportswashing’ for governments with questionable records?
Simon Chadwick is a Professor of Sport and Geopolitical Economy at SKEMA Business School in Paris. Chadwick co-edited the book The Business of the FIFA World Cup, which was published earlier this year.
Photo: AFP
