Many, many, many times. I've worked and reworked book proposals for years, never settling on the final idea/theme. I have three different ideas percolating in my head right now, and I am still not sure which one to approach first.
If I am being honest, I will likely attempt to write a book about Saudi Arabia's unprecedented sports drive and what it means for the future of sports. That seems to be the most timely and relevant of my ideas at the moment.
Karim, I became a great fan of your work through your time at BE.
Q1 Can you please comment on the fighter pay situation in light of it seeming like the majority of the fighters aren’t bothered by their awful pay and do it instead for passion. Are we wrong to fight on their behalf when they seem ambivalent?
Q2 where are we left in light of sportswashing at this exact moment in time when our western liberal countries say and do nothing in light of the situation in Israel and Palestine? Where should we stand now on this? I feel the grounds are shifting under my feet lately and I’m recalibrating. You being Egyptian have a different locus surely and I’d love your perspective on this.
Thank you for the support! You're one of the OG Sports Politika community members and I appreciate you very much.
To answer your questions, a) I actually just interviewed Luke Thomas for an upcoming episode of the Sports Politika podcast and I raised basically the same question. We both came to quite cynical conclusions, ultimately settling on the idea that fighter apathy coupled with UFC market dominance and a non-existent media infrastructure to hold them accountable, nothing is going to change anytime soon. And I no longer see why I should spend so much time fighting for the rights of people who are not interested in obtaining them.
b) This is an excellent question, and one that I have been wrestling with over the past six months (and longer, if we're being honest). I do believe that much of the Western world (mainly liberal democracies such as Germany, UK, France, Canada and the US) have lost the moral high ground and have done exceptional damage to their reputations and diplomatic sway in the global south. However, I still believe that human rights are worth fighting for and that authoritarian regimes need to be held accountable for their actions. I will continue to do that, irrespective of the West's actions, as they do not own the concept of human rights.
You mentioned me being Egyptian: yes, that is true and it does give me a different perspective than the average American or Westerner, sure. The problem is that my country, as well as all the others in the Arab region, are also handling the situation Israel-Palestine situation poorly. Saudi Arabia has banned outward displays of solidarity with Palestine (clothes, flags etc), as has the UAE. Egypt has participated in the blockade of Gaza for nearly a two decades now!
As for sportswashing, I am honestly a bit tired of using that word. It is limited and does not describe the depths of the soft power and statecraft being applied to sports. But when it comes to reporting on the intersection of sports and politics, I plan to do what I have always done: report on as many countries as I can, including so-called liberal democracies. I will be critically reporting on Paris's mishandling of the upcoming Games, Germany's hosting of the Euros and the 2026 World Cup in the US and Canada.
Sorry for the lengthy response but I hope I covered your questions
Thank you kindly for this excellent and detailed response (apologies for the delayed thank you, new born here 😆) . Re Q1 agreed, it’s been a huge emotional release for me seeing I wanted it more than the fighters, they perhaps do fight to see who’s best…
Q2 absolutely the old moral high ground is dead in the water and thanks for clarifying the continued need to fight for human rights irrespective and like you say the term sportswashing is becoming tired. I agree it doesn’t encompass the reality of the situation any longer. I’m massive into PL football and my perspective is evolving on it too. Thank you for all your works! Bless you u!
I like how my badgering has been reframed as a 'helpful nudge' 😂
Here's a question....
What's a sports story from the last few months which makes you smile? There's so much going on in the world that is wrong and painful right now, and I know you dedicate yourself to making sure those wrongs don't go unnoticed, but is there something positive you'd like to highlight, too?
So there have been a couple of those stories over the past year or so. I was delighted by Morocco's run during the 2022 World Cup, for example. Spain beating England to win the Women's World Cup was another great moment, even though that was marred by the infamous nonconsensual kiss. Coco Gauff winning her first US Open title was a big moment, as was Carlos Alvarez beating Djokovic at Wimbledon.
Those are some of the rare moments when sports make me smile
It is hard to look past Saudi Arabia's continued push to become a global sports superpower. That has to be the biggest sports story of this generation and has the potential to fundamentally shift the sports landscape. Time will tell whether that is actually the case but it is the story that I am paying the most attention to now.
As for Wrestlemania, I think Rock/Roman win tonight while Cody finally finishes the story tomorrow night against Roman. Seems obvious, which is why I am a little worried haha
I just started following your work on Substack after watching the interview you’ve had with Morning Kombat’s Luke Thomas where the discussions you guys had were intriguing to me as someone having a vast interest in Political Sports.
Loving your articles so far!
What is your take on the UFC’s renewed partnership with the Abu Dhabi government aiming to host multiple yearly events in the Middle East? Does the fan inside of you starve for maybe a Fight Night in your home turf down the line?
Thank you for the kind words! Welcome to the Sports Politika community. Delighted to have you on board.
The UFC's renewed partnership with Abu Dhabi does not surprise me. It is a win-win situation for both parties. The UFC gets to deepen its pockets with a partner more than willing to pay expensive site fees while the UAE gets to grow its influence in combat sports. I honestly would not be surprised if the UAE purchases the UFC somewhere down the line. Silver Lake, which just took Endeavor private, did so with the help of Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund. They are already in a strong position to take over the sport in the future.
As for a UFC event in Egypt, there was once a time when I would have loved to see that. The problem is that such an event would undoubtedly be hosted somewhere in the New Administrative Capital or the nearby Olympic City, both of which were recently built as part of the Egyptian president's grand plans for the country. However, it is precisely those investments that have now sunk Egypt into a debt crisis and economic disaster. Knowing this will taint any enjoyment I would have gotten from the UFC finally coming to Egypt.
Hi Karim, longtime fan of your work since I discovered you on Deadspin. I think it was a longread about Seagal/Putin. I was wondering if you could tell me when the last time you went to Russia was? Are you planning on going back?
I haven't been back to Russia in almost eight years. I stopped going due to safety concerns and honestly the situation hasn't gotten any better in Russia since then. In fact, it is far worse now given the nationalist wave taking place amid the war. Maybe one day I'll be able to go back but I can't imagine it will happen anytime soon.
Hi Karim, I’ve been a fan of your work for a while and have read from afar without engaging directly. As a fellow (far less experienced) writer, I’d love to know how you continue to develop your career as an investigative sports journalist in these trying times for media. You report on topics are guaranteed to anger those in power and yet you do not successfully and eloquently. How do you find speaking truth to power in the age of bots, trolls and increased mis and disinformation? I appreciate any insight you can give. Please keep doing what you’re doing.
Have you considered writing a book related to your work?
Many, many, many times. I've worked and reworked book proposals for years, never settling on the final idea/theme. I have three different ideas percolating in my head right now, and I am still not sure which one to approach first.
If I am being honest, I will likely attempt to write a book about Saudi Arabia's unprecedented sports drive and what it means for the future of sports. That seems to be the most timely and relevant of my ideas at the moment.
I would read that! A book about your time in Russia and reporting on Kadyrov would also be great!
That was my original idea. I might revisit that in the near future.
Karim, I became a great fan of your work through your time at BE.
Q1 Can you please comment on the fighter pay situation in light of it seeming like the majority of the fighters aren’t bothered by their awful pay and do it instead for passion. Are we wrong to fight on their behalf when they seem ambivalent?
Q2 where are we left in light of sportswashing at this exact moment in time when our western liberal countries say and do nothing in light of the situation in Israel and Palestine? Where should we stand now on this? I feel the grounds are shifting under my feet lately and I’m recalibrating. You being Egyptian have a different locus surely and I’d love your perspective on this.
Thank you kindly,
Patrick
Hi Patrick,
Thank you for the support! You're one of the OG Sports Politika community members and I appreciate you very much.
To answer your questions, a) I actually just interviewed Luke Thomas for an upcoming episode of the Sports Politika podcast and I raised basically the same question. We both came to quite cynical conclusions, ultimately settling on the idea that fighter apathy coupled with UFC market dominance and a non-existent media infrastructure to hold them accountable, nothing is going to change anytime soon. And I no longer see why I should spend so much time fighting for the rights of people who are not interested in obtaining them.
b) This is an excellent question, and one that I have been wrestling with over the past six months (and longer, if we're being honest). I do believe that much of the Western world (mainly liberal democracies such as Germany, UK, France, Canada and the US) have lost the moral high ground and have done exceptional damage to their reputations and diplomatic sway in the global south. However, I still believe that human rights are worth fighting for and that authoritarian regimes need to be held accountable for their actions. I will continue to do that, irrespective of the West's actions, as they do not own the concept of human rights.
You mentioned me being Egyptian: yes, that is true and it does give me a different perspective than the average American or Westerner, sure. The problem is that my country, as well as all the others in the Arab region, are also handling the situation Israel-Palestine situation poorly. Saudi Arabia has banned outward displays of solidarity with Palestine (clothes, flags etc), as has the UAE. Egypt has participated in the blockade of Gaza for nearly a two decades now!
As for sportswashing, I am honestly a bit tired of using that word. It is limited and does not describe the depths of the soft power and statecraft being applied to sports. But when it comes to reporting on the intersection of sports and politics, I plan to do what I have always done: report on as many countries as I can, including so-called liberal democracies. I will be critically reporting on Paris's mishandling of the upcoming Games, Germany's hosting of the Euros and the 2026 World Cup in the US and Canada.
Sorry for the lengthy response but I hope I covered your questions
Thank you kindly for this excellent and detailed response (apologies for the delayed thank you, new born here 😆) . Re Q1 agreed, it’s been a huge emotional release for me seeing I wanted it more than the fighters, they perhaps do fight to see who’s best…
Q2 absolutely the old moral high ground is dead in the water and thanks for clarifying the continued need to fight for human rights irrespective and like you say the term sportswashing is becoming tired. I agree it doesn’t encompass the reality of the situation any longer. I’m massive into PL football and my perspective is evolving on it too. Thank you for all your works! Bless you u!
I like how my badgering has been reframed as a 'helpful nudge' 😂
Here's a question....
What's a sports story from the last few months which makes you smile? There's so much going on in the world that is wrong and painful right now, and I know you dedicate yourself to making sure those wrongs don't go unnoticed, but is there something positive you'd like to highlight, too?
Whatever you want to call it, it was needed!
So there have been a couple of those stories over the past year or so. I was delighted by Morocco's run during the 2022 World Cup, for example. Spain beating England to win the Women's World Cup was another great moment, even though that was marred by the infamous nonconsensual kiss. Coco Gauff winning her first US Open title was a big moment, as was Carlos Alvarez beating Djokovic at Wimbledon.
Those are some of the rare moments when sports make me smile
Hi Karim, big fan! What is the sports-politics story that you find most interesting at the moment?
Also, who wins at WM40?
Hi Ali,
It is hard to look past Saudi Arabia's continued push to become a global sports superpower. That has to be the biggest sports story of this generation and has the potential to fundamentally shift the sports landscape. Time will tell whether that is actually the case but it is the story that I am paying the most attention to now.
As for Wrestlemania, I think Rock/Roman win tonight while Cody finally finishes the story tomorrow night against Roman. Seems obvious, which is why I am a little worried haha
Good calls!
Hello Karim,
I just started following your work on Substack after watching the interview you’ve had with Morning Kombat’s Luke Thomas where the discussions you guys had were intriguing to me as someone having a vast interest in Political Sports.
Loving your articles so far!
What is your take on the UFC’s renewed partnership with the Abu Dhabi government aiming to host multiple yearly events in the Middle East? Does the fan inside of you starve for maybe a Fight Night in your home turf down the line?
Hi, Qais!
Thank you for the kind words! Welcome to the Sports Politika community. Delighted to have you on board.
The UFC's renewed partnership with Abu Dhabi does not surprise me. It is a win-win situation for both parties. The UFC gets to deepen its pockets with a partner more than willing to pay expensive site fees while the UAE gets to grow its influence in combat sports. I honestly would not be surprised if the UAE purchases the UFC somewhere down the line. Silver Lake, which just took Endeavor private, did so with the help of Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund. They are already in a strong position to take over the sport in the future.
As for a UFC event in Egypt, there was once a time when I would have loved to see that. The problem is that such an event would undoubtedly be hosted somewhere in the New Administrative Capital or the nearby Olympic City, both of which were recently built as part of the Egyptian president's grand plans for the country. However, it is precisely those investments that have now sunk Egypt into a debt crisis and economic disaster. Knowing this will taint any enjoyment I would have gotten from the UFC finally coming to Egypt.
Fantastic and very well-laid insights!
Will you be in attendance in Riyadh for the UFC's first ever event?
I will be travelling for another assignment then so I won't be in attendance. But I will be visiting Saudi at some point this year.
Hi Karim, longtime fan of your work since I discovered you on Deadspin. I think it was a longread about Seagal/Putin. I was wondering if you could tell me when the last time you went to Russia was? Are you planning on going back?
I haven't been back to Russia in almost eight years. I stopped going due to safety concerns and honestly the situation hasn't gotten any better in Russia since then. In fact, it is far worse now given the nationalist wave taking place amid the war. Maybe one day I'll be able to go back but I can't imagine it will happen anytime soon.
Hi Karim, I’ve been a fan of your work for a while and have read from afar without engaging directly. As a fellow (far less experienced) writer, I’d love to know how you continue to develop your career as an investigative sports journalist in these trying times for media. You report on topics are guaranteed to anger those in power and yet you do not successfully and eloquently. How do you find speaking truth to power in the age of bots, trolls and increased mis and disinformation? I appreciate any insight you can give. Please keep doing what you’re doing.