Navigating the intersection of sports and politics: the impact of the Russian war in Ukraine on Estonian sports organizations
Date
2024
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia prompted a complex dilemma for international
and national sports federations, with divergent approaches to Russian and Belarusian athlete
participation. In Estonia, sports organizations face the challenge of navigating between the
global governing bodies’ directives while considering domestic policies. The thesis explores
the impact of the Russian war in Ukraine on the Estonian Olympic Committee, the Estonian
Tennis Association, and the Estonian Fencing Federation and their alignment with Estonia’s
foreign policy while raising two questions: (1) Do sports organizations in Estonia contribute to
Estonian security posture towards Russia’s war against Ukraine? If so, how? (2) How does the
Estonian foreign policy affect the work of Estonian sports organizations internationally?
The research methodology encompassed the review of the International Olympic Committee
statements, joint statements issued by relevant stakeholders, and official press releases from
chosen sports organizations, complemented by interviews with key individuals within the
Estonian sports community. The key findings confirm that the sports organizations contributed
to the country’s foreign policy by raising awareness of the war at the international level and
issuing joint statements with neighboring countries, thus projecting a united front that all
contribute to eliminating Russia and its representatives. However, uncertainties persist
regarding the impact of these actions, given factors such as Estonia’s geographical location,
the democratic voting system within international sports bodies, and the proximity of member
countries to the war zone.
The study indicates that despite the absence of a formalized sports diplomacy strategy, Estonia
has used sports as a diplomatic tool to project its voice on the global stage and build solidarity
within the international sports community. This contributes to understanding the relationship
between sports, geopolitics, and diplomacy.