ABSTRACT

This chapter examines how the term sport washing emerged, what it means, what it involves, and the issues associated with its use. It highlights the lack of clear evidence to prove or disprove whether government decision-makers are clear about their motives for undertaking sport washing, who their target audiences are, how the process of sport washing takes place, and what outcomes it delivers. The discussion calls on researchers and analysts to provide more balanced and inclusive examples of potential sport washing and clearer real evidence of motives and results, as part of developing a more sophisticated understanding of the phenomenon.