By Alexey Dospekhov, Kommersant’s particular correspondent
The ability of sport to deliver bitter enemies collectively is commonly debated, however historical past affords compelling examples. When Vladimir Putin, an avid hockey fan, urged to Donald Trump (who in February was notable for his fierce help of his nationwide group on the 4 Nations Event) that Russia and the US manage a sequence of pleasant matches between NHL and KHL gamers, the 2 leaders have been possible drawing on previous cases of sports activities diplomacy.
The thought could seem bold given the present geopolitical local weather, however historical past has proven that sport can open doorways the place conventional diplomacy fails. Two key examples from a equally tense period—the Nineteen Seventies—stand out.
From Ping-Pong to Nixon in Beijing
Within the early Nineteen Seventies, relations between the US and China have been nearly nonexistent. The 2 nations have been ideological adversaries with no diplomatic ties, and any contact between their residents was unthinkable. But, a single, unintentional interplay on a bus in Nagoya, Japan, modified all the pieces.
On the 1971 World Desk Tennis Championships, American participant Glenn Cowan missed his group’s bus and, by probability, boarded a Chinese language group bus as a substitute. The athletes had been strictly instructed to not have interaction with People—not even to make eye contact. However one in all them, the famend Zhuang Zedong, broke protocol, handing Cowan an embroidered silk image of the Huangshan Mountains.
The second was captured by photographers and shortly made headlines. Cowan, now an unwitting ambassador, expressed a want to go to China—a spot utterly off-limits to People on the time. Zhuang Zedong, in the meantime, returned residence with a easy however profound message: People weren’t the enemy.
The end result? Shortly after, American and Chinese language desk tennis groups exchanged visits, breaking a decades-long silence between the 2 nations. Only a yr later, in 1972, President Richard Nixon grew to become the primary U.S. chief to go to China, assembly with Mao Zedong in what grew to become one of the crucial important diplomatic breakthroughs of the Chilly Warfare. The episode grew to become often called ping-pong diplomacy, an emblem of how sport can dissolve even essentially the most entrenched hostilities.
The 1972 Summit Sequence: Hockey Meets the Chilly Warfare
Whereas Glenn Cowan was boarding the improper bus, one other unprecedented sporting occasion was taking form: a hockey showdown between the USSR and Canada.
On the time, the 2 nations had by no means confronted one another with their true finest groups. Canada’s NHL stars, who dominated world hockey, seemed down on the Soviet gamers, dismissing them as mere amateurs who racked up worldwide titles in opposition to weaker competitors. In the meantime, the Soviet Union, boasting its personal hockey legends—Valery Kharlamov, Alexander Yakushev, Vladislav Tretiak—was wanting to show itself in opposition to the so-called elite of the game.
The 1972 Summit Sequence was way over only a recreation. It was a Chilly Warfare battleground on ice, a contest between two rival superpowers, every decided to say its supremacy. Divided into two halves—4 video games in Canada, 4 in Moscow—the sequence was anticipated to be a lopsided victory for the Canadians.
It wasn’t. The Soviets shocked their opponents with a surprising win in Sport 1, leaving Canadian followers and gamers in disbelief. The battle intensified because the sequence progressed, culminating in a nail-biting finale, the place Paul Henderson’s last-minute aim secured victory for Canada.
However past the scoreline, one thing exceptional occurred: respect. Canadian gamers, initially dismissive of their Soviet counterparts, left in awe of their ability and self-discipline. The Soviet viewers, after witnessing the brilliance of NHL stars like Phil Esposito and Henderson, discovered themselves cheering for particular person Canadian gamers regardless of their Chilly Warfare rivalries. The message was clear—these athletes weren’t enemies however friends, every pushing the opposite to new heights.
Within the years that adopted, Soviet and Canadian groups continued to compete, laying the inspiration for many years of cross-cultural alternate in hockey. The geopolitical rigidity remained, however the sport had constructed a bridge the place governments had struggled.
Can Hockey Play a Function in In the present day’s Politics?
Quick ahead to at present, and hockey diplomacy might not have the identical novelty it did within the Nineteen Seventies. The NHL has lengthy accepted Russian stars, with gamers like Alexander Ovechkin turning into family names in North America. Ovechkin, a detailed buddy of Putin, is widely known within the US as he chases Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring document. His presence in Washington has made him a well-known determine, welcomed even on the White Home.
Not like the previous, the place Soviet and Western gamers have been digital strangers, at present’s NHL and KHL stars already share locker rooms, friendships, and rivalries. However in an period the place political tensions between Russia and the US have as soon as once more escalated, a sequence of pleasant matches may function a much-needed reminder of widespread floor.
Whether or not Putin and Trump’s concept materializes stays to be seen. But when historical past has taught us something, it’s {that a} easy recreation can generally change the course of world politics.
This text was first revealed by Kommersant, and was translated and edited by the RT group.
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