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Sport is one of the great joys of the human condition for athletes and spectators alike. It can bring happiness, livelihood, physical health, and mental well-being, and it provides an education in teamwork, discipline, maturity, and humility. If that is to continue, sport must face up to serious structural challenges, both within and around it. It doesn’t simply inherit society’s problems; it can reinforce and broadcast them, or, handled differently, help to dismantle them. But what are the challenges, and what steps can be taken?
Here I seek to address exactly that. Along with accomplished guests, I look at planetary boundaries, sexism, racism, sponsorship ethics, mental and physical health, social justice, and more. We’ll talk about potential remedies and how each of us can make a difference. Change starts with conversation, can build into awareness and mobilisation, and, with luck and persistence, can lead to something more like meaningful change.
Please remember that the views expressed in this podcast may no longer be current when you hear them. My views are my own, as are those of my guests, who, while valued here for their insights, do not necessarily reflect the values of Sustaining Sport and do not speak on behalf of the show. Contact: benmole@sustainingsport.com
39 Episodes
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Nicholas McGeehan is a founding co-director of FairSquare and co-author of the damning report Substitute: The Case for External Reform of FIFA. He joins me today to unpack the long history of systemic dysfunction within FIFA—from its roots in patronage and cronyism to recent scandals surrounding World Cup hosts like Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Nick offers a detailed look at FIFA's failures on human rights, governance, and safeguarding in both the men's and women’s game, while also presenting a ho...
Chris Britt-Searle is a passionate volunteer with The Next Test. This UK-based nonprofit is becoming a vital hub for players, clubs, and fans committed to addressing the environmental challenges facing cricket. In this thought-provoking discussion, Chris shares the story behind The Next Test and offers insights into the organisation’s role in uniting the cricketing community to confront ecological issues. We examine the current status of cricket in the face of climate change and explore how p...
Alaukik Shrivastava is a legal scholar and Assistant Professor at Nirma University in Gujarat, India. He joins us here to discuss the fascinating and fast-growing industry of fantasy sports. India has a notable legal approach to gaming versus gambling. The line between games of chance and games of skill is a fine one, and it's something that regulators are struggling to get on top of. We have discussed in previous episodes how open-access gambling can be very harmful to society. But there is...
Madeleine Orr is an Assistant Professor of Sport Ecology at the University of Toronto. She is also a co-founder of the Sport Ecology group, and in early May she will be releasing a brand-new book called “Warming Up, How Climate Change is Changing Sport” which, as you may guess, focuses on how sport is adapting to and wrestling with climate change. From seasonal sports' responses to climate shifts to using community sports facilities during natural disasters, this episode promises an eye-open...
Today we are speaking with Chen Chen. He is an Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut and writes prolifically about how sport intersects with many troubling trends across the globe including environmental decline and increasing inequality of wealth and power. This episode begins with Chen’s unique story that led him to these topics. Then we use his recent work on how the Dakar rally’s time in South America was a prime example of environmental injustice and even ecological imperi...
Ugandan sports currently grapples with a complex network of interconnected challenges, including severe financial constraints, persistent mismanagement issues, a significant talent drain, and the undeniable impacts of climate change. The question is: how can their sports improve and develop talent without further contributing to the climate crisis? Diving into this question with us is Sharon Muzaki, a budding environmental journalist and sports fan, in Kampala. Of course, such a discus...
Advertising is supposed to be a way for businesses and entrepreneurs to show you how good their products are. But what if many of the products in adverts are actually bad? They could be bad for you or potentially bad for this planet and its delicately balanced biosphere. Today’s topic is bad advertising. We are talking to researcher Freddie Daley who works as a coordinator for a tremendous organisation called Badvertising. As sport holds a powerful place in the hearts and minds of fans and a...
The convergence of sport, decoloniality, and the environment presents a labyrinth of intricate ideas, and as we delve into their interconnectedness, the complexity deepens. Joining us on this informative journey is Samuel Clevenger, an Assistant Professor at Towson University in the USA, who has been trying to unpack some of this intersection. We start with the radical concept of decoloniality—an evolution beyond mere decolonisation. Through philosophical references and anecdotes, we raise i...
The relationship between money and sport is complex… This show has often discussed the issues that arise when the biggest carbon emitters buy or sponsor a sports club, often with the objective of improving their legitimacy or reputation. But this episode goes one step deeper, by looking at the more nuanced capital in-flows that have a few a degrees of separation. For example, the organisations that invest in or fund others to extract fossil fuels, rather than doing it themselves. Additional...
“Sport is not industry: bringing sport back to sport management.” That is the title of a wonderful paper by Hallgeir Gammelsæter, of Molde University College in Norway. The paper argues that sport management, as a discipline, has become overly focused on the management or business aspect, pushing the sports industry into competing as any other form of entertainment. This raises questions about who sport is supposed to serve, as both athletes and fans have arguably become commodities for sha...
Football fan culture is a highly coveted commodity to many businesses who look to use the spectacle of the game and the love for teams to promote the consumption of their products. But what if this culture was leveraged for more positive outcomes? Jenny Amann, a PhD student at the University of Brighton, recently co-authored a paper with an international expert on fan culture, Mark Doidge. In it, they present their research on how we might mobilise the collective behaviour of sports fans to ...
How does winning an Olympic gold medal in canoeing inform a career in environmental activism? Etienne Stott, and his partner Tim Baillie, won the Men's slalom canoeing C-2 Event at the London 2012 Olympics, making history for Great Britain. Since retiring from competitive sport, Etienne has become increasingly involved with environmental activism, working with organizations such as Extinction Rebellion to raise awareness and push for action. In this episode, we take a deep dive into Etienne...
The Republic of Haiti is arguably the unluckiest country in recent history. It sits on a fault line and is regularly barraged by hurricanes. Additionally, it still struggles for social and economic stability after countless colonial injustices and outside interventions followed by dictators, gang violence and corruption. Sport, mainly football/soccer, plays a huge role in the nation’s culture which means it may be a source of relief. But how to leverage this potential in a country seemingly w...
To try to answer this complicated question we have Tristan Niesslein of Niesslein Sustainability Partners on the show. We discuss (1) the contradictions facing motorsport’s efforts to reduce its environmental impact, (2) how it’s time for ‘stick over carrot’ on sustainability regulations, (3) questions about the source of sponsorship funds, and (4) the big issues regarding diversity and inclusivity. We perhaps raise more questions than provide conclusive answers, but it’s essential to ...
The relationship between the leaders of nation-states and the gatekeepers of sporting mega-events is both powerful and complex. Organisations, such as FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), have revenues in the billions of dollars and are supranational. They have a disproportionate and troubling degree of political power. Much has been written about the environmental and human rights disaster of the men’s football World Cup in Qatar as finally being a step too far ...
Sport is one of the great joys of the human condition for athletes and spectators alike. It can bring happiness, livelihood, physical health, and mental well-being, and provides an education in teamwork, discipline, maturity, and humility. But for this to continue, sports around the world must acknowledge challenges both current and future and both internal and external. Then, steps must be taken to overcome what faces them or risk losing what so many people hold so dear. But what are the cha...
Are regulators doing enough to safeguard people against betting companies and their aggressive customer acquisition strategies? Problem gamblers account for 46% of betting company revenue while making up only 5% of players. Up to 1 in 20 British men will, at least for a time, be a problem gambler, something that can take decades to recover from. So what are regulators doing to help? Here to answer this is Matt Zarb-Cousin, a former teenage problem gambler who went on to co-found Gamban, the...
While there is undoubtedly some potential for the sports industry to embrace blockchain technology, thus far it’s been marred by controversy and even criminality. To find out how things can improve, I have been in conversation with industry commentator Pet Berisha of the Sporting Crypto newsletter. He is an optimist of the space but knows a poor product when he sees one. He highlights some areas where crypto brands might be able to provide more significant value to sport. In addition, I have ...
Up to 20% of all athletes experience a crisis transitioning after retiring from competitive sport, meaning they face severe mental, physical, social, or financial difficulties and are often unable to cope. If you consider how many sports and athletes there are competing globally, this is a significant number, and it is vital more is done to help. Fortunately, researchers like Associate Professor Suzie Cosh, of the University of New England (AU), have been trying to get to the bottom of why t...
Is your local club ground half empty because everyone is watching the Premier League on TV? Or perhaps you are a local Liverpool FC fan, but cannot ever get a ticket? Dr David Webber has been examining these struggles, dedicating much of his academic career to working out why it is happening and what we can do about it. David postulates that football has become so commercialised that most of us are unable to imagine an alternative that would curb profit-seeking behaviour and restore some soc...
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Sustaining sport isn’t just about the athletes—it’s also about the fans, the analysis, and the quality of information we rely on. One site that consistently provides in-depth coverage and real-time updates is https://dailysports.net/predictions/. Since 2006, they’ve been committed to delivering objective news, expert predictions, and insightful articles across various sports. What stands out is their focus on both accuracy and storytelling. They don’t just report scores and odds; they analyze trends, break down team performances, and provide well-researched content. Whether it’s football, basketball, or other major sports, they aim to keep fans informed with up-to-date reports. Reliable sports coverage is key to maintaining interest and engagement in the game, and having trusted sources like this helps keep the sports community strong. It’s always worth checking multiple sources, but this one has been a solid choice.