Op-Ed Apr 27, 2026 NBA’s Rwanda ties face scrutiny after sanctions-linked BAL withdrawal As the NBA enters its postseason crescendo, its carefully cultivated image as one of the most progressive leagues in sports is once again in the spotlight due to its partnership with Rwanda, which has long been accused of human rights abuses and war crimes.
Op-Ed Mar 13, 2026 Putin Bombs the Power Grid. The Children Keep Playing When the Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych risked disqualification for wearing a helmet displaying the faces of more than 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed in the war during this year’s Olympics, it became clear: even sports equipment has become political.
Op-Ed Dec 13, 2025 As Sudan burns, the NBA’s embrace of the UAE shows how sport enables atrocity As paramilitary fighters from the brutal Rapid Support Forces (RSF) overran the largest city in western Sudan – carrying out mass executions, rapes and ethnic cleansing with weapons supplied by the United Arab Emirates – the NBA’s annual in-season tournament, the Emirates NBA Cup, tipped off on Halloween night, proudly sponsored by the very same Gulf state.
Op-Ed May 9, 2025 Why is Saudi Arabia at the Gold Cup? It’s the latest in the Kingdom’s soft power campaign Last month, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) held an official draw in Miami, Florida for the 2025 Gold Cup, the premier biennial tournament for men’s football on the continent.
Op-Ed Mar 19, 2025 Kirsty Coventry—the Soft Face of Zimbabwe’s Dictatorship—Could Be the Next President of the IOC | Opinion The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is set to select a new president this week to succeed Thomas Bach. In a field of seven candidates, Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry, Africa’s most decorated Olympian, could make history as the first woman to head the IOC.
Op-Ed Jul 19, 2024 Authoritarian Qatar puts 2,000 cops and armoured cars on the streets of Paris Two weeks before the Olympic Games are set to kick off in Paris, Qatari security forces, equipped with armoured vehicles and urban camouflage livery, arrived in the French capital to help “secure” the global event.
