Saudi Arabia, a country that recently took the radical step of allowing women to drive, is now a stop on the European Tour. Surprisingly, given that until recently women weren’t even allowed to watch sporting events in Saudi Arabia, there is even talk of a women’s tournament being held in the kingdom. “The old story of Saudi Arabia that it’s segregated is no longer applicable,” Majed Al-Sorour, CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation, said last week. It’s my job to play golf.” And, presumably, to help sportswash a country where journalists end up dismembered in consulates. This European Tour’s dalliance with Saudi Arabia only highlights how far the sport has to go to stand for something more than the accumulation of cash.

Source: The Guardian February 07, 2019 10:00 UTC