{"id":21828,"date":"2023-09-22T18:24:08","date_gmt":"2023-09-22T18:24:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eritrea\/all-news\/i-dont-care-about-sportswashing-accusations-says-saudis-bin-salman"},"modified":"2023-09-22T18:45:45","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T18:45:45","slug":"i-dont-care-about-sportswashing-accusations-says-saudis-bin-salman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eritrea\/all-news\/i-dont-care-about-sportswashing-accusations-says-saudis-bin-salman","title":{"rendered":"I don\u2019t care about sportswashing accusations, says Saudi\u2019s Bin Salman"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Eritrea. <\/strong><\/span>Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed bin Salman says he does not care about accusations of \u2018sportswashing\u2019.<\/p>\n

The Gulf kingdom has been accused of investing in sport and using high-profile events to improve its international reputation.<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia\u2019s Public Investment Fund (PIF) led the takeover of Newcastle United last year and launched LIV Golf.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf sportswashing is going to increase my GDP by one per cent, then we\u2019ll continue doing sportswashing,\u201d Bin Salman said.<\/p>\n

He told Fox News: \u201cI don\u2019t care [about the term]. I have one per cent growth in GDP from sport and I am aiming for another 1.5%.<\/p>\n

\u201cCall it what you want \u2014 we are going to get that 1.5 per cent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia has been criticised for its human rights violations \u2014 81 men were executed on one day last year \u2014 women\u2019s rights abuses, the criminalisation of homosexuality, the restriction of free speech and the war in Yemen.<\/p>\n

Its international standing was severely damaged by the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a US-based Saudi journalist who was a prominent critic of the government.<\/p>\n

Human rights campaigners say sport is being used by the Saudi government to distract from long-standing reputation issues.<\/p>\n

But Saudi authorities reject those accusations and say investment in sport is a key part of the \u2018Vision 2030\u2019 strategy.<\/p>\n

The country\u2019s sovereign wealth fund has estimated assets of $620bn (\u00a3550bn).<\/p>\n

Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan is the governor of PIF, which is controlled by Bin Salman.<\/p>\n

The Premier League club\u2019s green and white third kit last season resembled the Saudi Arabia national team kit and, at the time of its release, Amnesty International said it was \u201cclear evidence\u201d of sportswashing.<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia will host the Club World Cup in December – the first time it has staged a major Fifa event – and is expected to bid to host the World Cup in 2030 or 2034.<\/p>\n

Qatar\u2019s controversial hosting of the 2022 tournament drew criticism because of its stance on same-sex relationships, its human rights record and its treatment of migrant workers.<\/p>\n

PIF has taken control of four of Saudi Arabia\u2019s top clubs \u2014 Al-Ahli, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr \u2014 which have secured high-profile signings over recent seasons including Cristiano Ronaldo and reigning Ballon d\u2019Or holder Karim Benzema.<\/p>\n

The launch of the lucrative LIV Golf series in 2022 led to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour agreeing to merge with PIF in June after a year of disruption, with Al-Rumayyan appointed chair of the new unified men\u2019s game.<\/p>\n

F1\u2019s decision to hold its inaugural race in Saudi Arabia in 2021, as part of a long-term deal, was also criticised by human rights groups.<\/p>\n

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton called on Saudi Arabia to improve its human rights record before the 2022 grand prix, having said he did not feel comfortable racing in the country.<\/p>\n

World title boxing fights have also been held in Saudi Arabia. Anthony Joshua said he was \u201chere for boxing\u201d before losing to Oleksandr Usyk in Jeddah last year, having beaten Andy Ruiz in the capital Riyadh in 2019.<\/p>\n

Tennis will hold a professional event in Saudi Arabia for the first time this year after a five-year deal was agreed for Jeddah to host the Next Gen ATP Finals. Saudi Arabia has also held talks with the women\u2019s tour about hosting its end-of-season WTA Finals.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Eritrea<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Eritrea. Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed bin Salman says he does not care about accusations of \u2018sportswashing\u2019. The Gulf kingdom has been accused of investing in sport and using high-profile events to improve its international reputation. Saudi Arabia\u2019s Public Investment Fund (PIF) led the takeover of Newcastle United last year and launched LIV […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":21827,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,17],"tags":[242,243,233],"class_list":["post-21828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-sport","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-eritrea","tag-eritrea"],"yoast_head":"\nI don\u2019t care about sportswashing accusations, says Saudi\u2019s Bin Salman - Eritrea<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed bin Salman says he does not care about accusations of \u2018sportswashing\u2019. 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