Sir, – An argument put forward for awarding major sports events to authoritarian regimes is that it can lead to improved behaviours. The evidence does not back this up. Did awarding the 2014 Winter Olympics and 2018 World Cup to Russia result in changed behaviours?
Or the 2022 World Cup to Qatar? An estimated 6,500 workers (mostly south Asians) have died in the last 10 years building the stadiums (figures from the International Labour Organisation). Nor has there been any significant social policy changes.
Conversely boycotts do work. While the British and Irish Lions were quite content to play in South Africa during the worst excesses of apartheid, some individuals made personal stands. Tony Ward the outhalf on the 1980 Lions tour said he knew he made a mistake as soon as the team landed in Jan Smuts airport, and he saw a sign for a “Whites Only Toilet”.
Ward (and others) refused to play on the shameful Irish tour to South Africa the following year. It was individual stands like this that eventually raised awareness leading to boycotts and international pressure to change.
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Over the last few weeks, you have published some excellent pieces of commentary on the LIV Saudi-backed breakaway golf tour. Why not follow your columnists’ advice and not cover it?
– Yours, etc,
GARY RYNHART,
Pretoria,
South Africa.