GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
A Pair of Photo Ops Blurs the Lines Between Athlete and Activist
Oct 1, 2018 | 10:00 GMT
(AFP/Getty Images)
Highlights
- After the German team fell early in the World Cup, Mesut Ozil, a German player of Turkish origin, became the center of controversy over a photo with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
- A similar situation unfolded for Egypt's Mohamed Salah after a bewildering encounter with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
- The incidents demonstrate how easily appearances of political involvement by elite athletes can eclipse even apolitical intent.
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