They have always mixed — the crucial thing is to not allow sport and sportspersons to be used as pawns
They have always mixed — the crucial thing is to not allow sport and sportspersons to be used as pawns
A fortnight ago, Wimbledon decided to deny entries to players from Russia and Belarus for the 2022 edition of the tournament. Coming as it did against the backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Wimbledon said it was to thwart any attempt from the Russian regime to “derive any benefits from the involvement of Russian or Belarusian players with The Championships”. Many other sports, such as football, track and field, and Formula One, have also imposed sanctions of varying degrees.
This has resurrected the debate on the influence of politics on sport. Here we discuss the various facets of the same.
Guests: Zeeshan Ali, a former tennis player and Olympian, is currently India’s Davis Cup coach and also the head of the National Tennis Centre in New Delhi; Sharda Ugra, a sports journalist with more than three decades’ experience across newsrooms at The Hindu, Mid-Day, India Today and ESPNcricinfo
Host: N. Sudarshan
You can now find The Hindu’s podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Search for Parley by The Hindu.
Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in
