IPL auction in Saudi Arabia: Whys of sportswashing are well-known, the hows reveal the weakness of sport

The modus operandi is pretty standard — convince the biggest names in each sport that Saudis are the best thing to happen to their game. Then dip into Saudi’s deep coffers called PIF (Public Investment Fund).

Here’s how other sports were courted:

Tennis

Riyadh hosted the WTA Finals recently, and splurged on individual dressing rooms, a spa, beauty salon and a mental health office at the venue. BBC quizzed all top women’s tennis names, reporting, “Many said they hoped they could help bring about change.”

Coco Gauf, eventual winner, freely spoke of her reservations even, but went ahead to compete, stating that for change, “you have to start little by little.” Her sincere belief: “Knowing from the past from my grandmother, integrating her school, people aren’t going to like it, but in the long run I think it could be better for everybody.”

Judy Murray, despite initial reluctance, took on the role of WTA ambassador, and Kevin Kerns, a former American tennis player, has been roped in for a schools program in 290 schools, reaching 70,000 students. Former Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur, a Moroccan, was invited to promote tennis amongst Arab girls.

It’s more than a veneer of legitimacy, and especially notable given Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic participated in October’s Kings Slam, and the best of Gen Next will show up in their ATP season finale in December. The Saudi Slam is complete.

ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi was at great pains to explain in June after talks with PIF, soon after the golf merger, that tennis wouldn’t be a complete takeover, but rather “investment in media, data, technology and on the commercial side.” The weakness exploited by Saudi Arabia, however, was revealed in what Nick Kyrgios tweeted: “Finally. They see the value. We are going to get paid what we deserve to get paid.”

A little incitement to revolution here, a little inducement for reward there, and the Saudis had crawled to the heart of tennis.

Football

Cristiano Ronaldo is of course the face of big Saudi money. But lesser known is the history where Brazil’s 1970 World Cup winner Rivellino joined Al Hilal in 1978, becoming the first big name to move to Saudi Arabia. They own Newcastle now, stomping their way into the premiership, but in 2017, Manchester United’s then-managing director Richard Arnold had proudly said: “Our partnership with Saudi Telecom is the longest running of all our commercial partners.”

Cristiano Ronaldo is of course the face of big Saudi money. (PHOTO: Reuters)

May of 2021 saw Saudi Arabia first sponsor a FIFA research study into the staging of biennial World Cups, and then bring in Lionel Messi as Saudi ambassador, promoting tourism to the country — the gig earning him up to $25 million, according to The New York Times.

A further 40 mid to big names, like N’Golo Kante and Karim Benzema, followed Ronaldo into the Saudi league, and the country had the World Cup scheduled for a decade from now, to go with the 2034 Asian Games and 2029 Asian Winter Games.

Golf

Jeddah’s LIV Golf pulled big names — John Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Bubba Watson, sending PGA reeling. And Saudi has freely invited golf-digging, with the US Senate Subcommittee on Investigations recently revealing that even at the merger stage, Greg Norman was to be edged out as CEO, while they talked to Rory McIlroy. The phone calls to big names never stop.

Powers of persuasion or the purse were most evident when from once calling them “scary”, Phil Mickelson pivoted within months to become the face of LIV Golf, as one of the highest paid athletes in the world despite not winning a single LIV tournament.

In the 1940s, American expatriates brought golf to the Kingdom, at a time when oil was poured onto the sand to keep the course from blowing away. From then to hosting courses that look straight out of the tropics, and ruling golf, Saudi had come a long way.

Lebron James, Ronnie O’Sullivan…list continues

It is no surprise that Saudi would want to play hosts to IPL bigwigs and franchises. Talking straight to the most influential names in any sport is their game. Boxer Anthony Joshua barely fights in the UK now, as every big ticket fight of his is Saudi-bound.

Even the ridiculously well paid NBA stars aren’t immune. When Al Hilal were chasing Kylian Mbappé, throwing numbers like more than $1 billion for a year, a couple of tweets chirped up in the USA. LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who earn less than 10% of that sum, jested with GIFs about how they would gladly run behind those eye-popping sums. The media reported that weeks later, James traveled to Saudi Arabia to meet with Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud, the Saudi minister of culture — a trip he has never commented on.

Another big name that signed a three-year ambassadorial agreement with Saudi Arabia was snooker’s greatest, Ronnie O’Sullivan. The bond prevents him from retiring till 2026, and he’s obliged to play in the World Masters of Snooker and Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters for three consecutive years. He infuriated his fans by posing in front of a flashy new snooker academy with five tables and former world Top 10 Nigel Bond plonked as head coach.

The ‘Rocket’ happily accepted the introduction of a 20-point gold ball into the rules of the game, the bling sphere, scoffed at as a “ludicrous gimmick”, called “the sign of a desperate sport.”

For a country that enthusiastically hosted UN’s Anti Microbial Resistance medical summit this last week, and carries the same event management flourish into recreating the Russian circus in Jeddah this weekend, an IPL auction is just another day in the ceaseless ambition of the ridiculously rich Saudi Arabia. Don’t be surprised if one day, they buy Test cricket and convince the world it’s good for the game.