D'Arcy Waldegrave: Congratulations Saudi Arabia

Congratulations Saudi Arabia. From stone cold motherless last to champion of the world! The Saudi royal family, in the space of only a few years, have won sport. On top of the dais – actually the whole dais is theirs. And the medals too! Gold, silver and bronze. And all of the known world records. And trophies.   

It’s been an impressive run from the hitherto unknown sporting demigods.   

Dedication? Training? A newfound love of competition? What has driven this kingdom to the very top of sport?  

Money.   

Nothing more, nothing less. They’ve bought their way into global sporting recognition.  

Their medieval treatment of women, immigrant workers, and the rainbow community has been conveniently brushed under a sandhill as the world of sport has clambered over themselves to secure a slice of an inconceivably large oil pie.   

It’s grotesque.   

The shameless grovelling, the oft repeated peddling of the Saudi ‘want for change’ narrative, the endless photo ops with sporting superstars and Arabian royalty, the convenient mass turning of a blind eye to the arrogant horrors of their ruling class and the shared glee as sporting bodies worldwide roll in the pigs mud of Saudi largesse is hard to accept, but easy to understand.   

People are hopelessly greedy.   

Any resistance to sportswashing has been swept away by a tidal wave of money, drowning dissent and morals as it floods plains of athletic competition.  

Congratulations Saudi Arabia, you’ve won sport. 

Just don’t expect me to stick around for the anthems and medal ceremony. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Wildegrave from News Talks B.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
That's up last seven and congratulations to Saudi Arabia from
stone cold, motherless last to champion of the world Saudi
Raal family in the space of only a few years
of one sport. Top of the dais actually the whole
dais is theirs and the medals as well, the gold
and silver, the bronze, the aluminium, that pewter, all of

(00:34):
the known world records, the are theirs as well, and trophies,
the lot. It's been an impressive run from the hitherto
unknown sporting demigods, dedication, training and you found love of competition.
What has driven this kingdom to the very top of sport? Money,
nothing more, nothing less. They've brought their way into global

(00:56):
sporting recognition. Their medieval treatment of women, the immigrant workers,
the rainbow community has been conveniently brushed under a sand hill.
The world of sport has clambered over themselves to secure
a slice of an inconceivably large oil pie. It's grotesque,

(01:16):
shameless groveling, the oft repeated pedaling of the Saudi want
for change narrative, the endless photo ops with sporting superstars
and Arabian royalty, the convenient mass turning of a blind
eye to the arrogant horrors of their ruling class, and
the shared glee as sporting bodies worldwide roll in the

(01:37):
pig's mud. Saudi largest. It's hard to accept, it's easy
to understand, though people are hopelessly greedy. Any resistance to
the sport washing obviously has been swept away by a
title of tidal wave of CAF drowning descent and morals
as it floods the plains of athletic competition. Congratulations, Saudi Arabia,

(02:00):
you have one sport. Just don't expect me to stick
around for the anthems and medals.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Waltergrave,
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