Sports Politika

13/06/2023

Surf City—the 21km stretch of refurbished coastline in El Salvador where the world’s top surfers are currently gathered—has become a centrepiece of Nayib Bukele’s authoritarian presidency

Surf City—the 21km stretch of refurbished coastline—has become a centrepiece of Nayib Bukele’s authoritarian presidency.

06/06/2023

How Azerbaijan exploits sports for political influence

As Azerbaijan continues to bask in the glory of its international sports events, its underlying motives remain clear.

01/06/2023

While 's playing style is as captivating as it is formidable, the same cannot be said about his off-court politics.

The 22-time grand slam champion has been accused of stoking ethnic tensions between Serbia and Kosovo.

30/05/2023

A Russian neo-Nazi MMA fighter is now leading an anti-Kremlin paramilitary group making incursions into Russia

The founder of the White Rex far-right MMA apparel brand is now leading an anti-Kremlin paramilitary group making incursions into Russia.

22/05/2023

Saudi Arabia’s trans-continental bid to host the 2030 suffered a major setback after proposed co-host Egypt announced it withdrawal.

Egypt has withdrawn from the Saudi-led joint bid that also included Greece. Could geopolitical tensions have played a role?

20/05/2023

Are the death threats resulting from investigative journalism worth it?

Welcome to the first edition of "Office Hours," a fortnightly Q&A session where I select a couple of intriguing questions from subscribers to answer in longform.

17/05/2023

A tournament featuring Ukraine’s Olympic team took place in a subway station in war-torn Kharkiv.

A boxing tournament featuring Ukraine’s Olympic team took place in a subway station in war-torn Kharkiv.

15/05/2023

Six years ago, women from and could not compete in . Now, they are among the Middle Eastern women raising the bar in the male-dominated sport.

Apart from raising the bar for their fellow competitors, Middle Eastern women are also taking steps to shift the gender balance in weightlifting.

13/05/2023

Is this the end for ? Can Turkish democracy be restored? Share your thoughts on this and many other topics in this week’s edition of The Saturday Salon.

Welcome back to our fortnightly cultural gathering. This week, we focus on the upcoming elections in Turkey.

11/05/2023

Top wresters are protesting against rampant sexual abuse within India's wrestling federation. Their demonstration is threatening to become a national crisis.

India's top wresters are protesting against rampant sexual abuse within India's wrestling federation. Their demonstration is threatening to become a national crisis.

08/05/2023

Yet another fighter associated with Ramzan Kadyrov has suffered a sudden twist of fate

Former IBO light-heavyweight champion Umar Salamov disappeared shortly after his most recent fight in September 2022.

06/05/2023

The monarchy is a hollowed-out symbol of economic exploitation, political oppression, and depraved imperialism that holds no place in modern society.

The British monarchy is a hollowed-out symbol of economic exploitation, political oppression, and depraved imperialism.

01/05/2023

Olympic boxing is in shambles

A breakaway boxing association headed by the U.S. and its allies has emerged to rival the Russia-funded International Boxing Association. The sport’s Olympic future rests in the balance.

29/04/2023

Welcome back to the Saturday Salon! This week's edition is dedicated to Sudan and features a selection of articles, essays, music and books from the African nation currently in crisis.

Welcome back to our fortnightly cultural gathering. This week, we focus on the crisis taking place in Sudan.

27/04/2023

Time are changing

I was invited to chat with Dr. James M Dorsey about the various aspects of sports in the Middle East. Listen to the discussion below.

24/04/2023

While Carlson’s departure means that the UFC has lost one of its most potent conservative platforms, the organization’s love affair with right-wing media continues to endure.

Outlets such as Fox News will continue to call on the UFC whenever its executives or fighters publicly share views that match their right-wing talking points.

22/04/2023

You can now enjoy Sports Politika exclusives for $25/year.

Discount available for 48 hours.

You can now enjoy Sports Politika exclusives for $25/year. Discount available for 48 hours.

20/04/2023

Environmental activists are using sports to make political statements

Sports have long been utilized as platforms to champion causes or raise awareness about socio-economic and political issues—even by unlikely suspects.

20/04/2023

Sports Politika offers subscribers an opportunity to stay informed about the intersection of sports and politics, its growing role on the global stage, and the machinations of the politically powerful.

Subscribe to get full access and never miss an update.

After years of covering the intersection of sports and politics for mainstream outlets like The Guardian and The New York Times, investigative reporter Karim Zidan is launching his own newsletter.

19/04/2023

The ongoing FIDE - International Chess Federation world championship match between Russia's Ian Nepomniachtchi and China's Ding Liren is laced with geo-political implications amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The match between Russia's Ian Nepomniachtchi and China's Ding Liren is laced with geo-political implications amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

19/04/2023

While Formula 1 has long claimed it is a driver of change, it appears to be little more than a pathway for authoritarian ambitions.

Following a season-opener in Bahrain and a follow-up grand prix in Saudi Arabia, Formula One continues to be a useful tool for authoritarian sportswashing.

19/04/2023

Ex-NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was leading a basketball camp in Vatican City when he found out the Turkish government had placed a $500,000 bounty on his head.

“How can a foreign government put a bounty on an American citizen’s head on U.S. soil?”

The former NBA player opens up on the recent death threats he has faced and what it says about the state of global politics.

08/02/2021

“I could not combine my sensitivity as an artist with slaughtering as a butcher. I was a failure in my family’s eyes,” Hassan El Shark said.

Hassan El Shark is a self-taught contemporary folk artist who is considered to be one of the most unique painters in Egypt today.

07/02/2021

After a decade of repeated closures, the Museum of Modern Egyptian Art has finally reopened its doors to the public.

04/02/2021

The Ministry of Culture in Egypt has released an English language documentary about pop art pioneer Prof. REDA Adbdel Salam Arts

The Ministry of Culture in Egypt has released an English language documentary about pop art pioneer Reda Abdel Salam.

04/02/2021

Angelina Jolie plans to auction a Moroccan landscape painting completed by Sir Winston Churchill at an upcoming Christies auction

Angelina Jolie plans to auction a Moroccan landscape painting completed by Sir Winston Churchill at an upcoming Christies auction.

04/02/2021

Filming for the anticipated remake of Nobel Prize laureate Naguib Mahfouz’s classic movie Between Heaven and Earth is finally underway.

Filming for the remake of Nobel Prize laureate Naguib Mahfouz’s classic movie Between Heaven and Earth is underway.

12/12/2020

The Barjeel Art Foundation announced the winners of their first-ever bilingual Poetry Prize

The Sharjah-based Barjeel Art Foundation announced the winners of its first-ever bilingual poetry prize this week.

11/12/2020

When Naguib Mahfouz finally met Gabriel García Márquez

On December 10, Egypt launched an exhibition featuring caricatures of Nobel Laureates Naguib Mahfouz and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

11/12/2020

Naguib Mahfouz was born on this day (Dec. 11) in 1911. On the 109th anniversary of his birth, we remember the legendary Egyptian author whose unique body of work resulted in him winning the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Mahfouz, who remains the Arab world’s only Nobel Laureate in Literature, published 34 novels, over 350 short stories, dozens of movie scripts, hundreds of op-ed columns for Egyptian newspapers, and five plays over a 70-year career. Apart from his historical novels set in Ancient Egypt, most of Mahfouz’s writing was set in Cairo and dealt with Egypt’s development over the course of the 20th century. Some were overtly political, while others dealt with Egypt on a societal level, raising criticisms of culture, religion, political leanings, and government oversight. His masterpieces include The Cairo Trilogy, which was completed before the July Revolution, and Children of Gebelawi, the controversial novel which led to his attempted assassination.

Mahfouz passed away in 2006 at age 94. He is succeeded by his daughter, Umm Kulthum Mahfouz, who manages his estate.