Saudi Arabia has made inroads into the world of sports in the last few years. Of late, the nation has come under heavy criticism for trying to salvage its reputation by doing so. In a recent interview, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave a very blunt reply to those who accused him of ‘Sportswashing’.
Ever since he rose to power, the Crown Prince has overseen enormous amounts of money being invested in sports. It is estimated that the PIF (Public Investment Fund), has assets worth $700 billion. This is a strategic investment on their part, as they try to reduce their dependency on fossil fuels.
In the latest interview, Mohammed bin Salman gave a very straightforward answer to his critics. “If sportswashing is going to increase my GDP by one percent, then we’ll continue sportswashing. I don’t care. I have a 1% growth in GDP from sport and I am aiming for another 1.5%. Call it whatever you want – we are going to get that 1.5 percent,” he said (via Tennis-Infinity.com).
🇸🇦🗣️ Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: “If sportswashing is going to increase our GDP, we’ll continue sportswashing. I don’t care.” pic.twitter.com/2X91xnN0D0
— DW Sports (@dw_sports) September 21, 2023
So far, the nation has successfully invested in soccer and golf. They came close to hosting the WTA finals in the country, but the leaders of the WTA were lambasted. However, the Next Gen ATP Finals will be held in Jeddah.
Fans have criticized this severely, given the history of violence perpetrated by Saudi Arabia. Users drew attention to the atrocities they commit against anyone who speaks against them.
For someone who doesn’t care about sportswashing, Mohammed bin Salman, the PIF, and the Saudi State routinely threaten, bully, and coerce anyone who draws attention to their human rights abuses, crimes against humanity, terrorism sponsorship, etc.
He’s always been full of crap. https://t.co/AiXVoRau43
— Paul Dawkins (@Paul__Dawkins) September 21, 2023
They don’t care about human rights either . They don’t take many refugees in as well . A country that doesn’t give a toss about anything but greed
— gez prior (@gezprioruk) September 21, 2023
It is very clear that Saudi Arabia’s investments in sports are paying off. Ons Jabeur had voiced her support for it in the past, but many are firmly against such a move.
What did players say about Saudi Arabia taking over tennis
The WTA management was under tremendous pressure since reports stated that the WTA finals could be held in Saudi. Several notable players spoke out against such a move, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, and John McEnroe being the most vocal.
Navratilova stated that if she were playing, she would definitely not head to the Middle Eastern nation to play. Evert also said she would not support such a move. She spoke of the issues that have plagued the country and how they treat women.
From among the current crop of players, quite a few chose to avoid delving into the topic. However, Jessica Pegula stated that there should be some visible changes before such a move was considered. But she conceded that such a decision may come down to money ultimately.
The WTA management has been able to resist the temptation for now. Cancun Mexico, will host the event this year. It is only a matter of time though, before tennis also gives in to Saudi Arabia, the way other sports have.