On New Year’s Eve, during the third stage of the Tour de Ski, all athletes from both the men’s and women’s teams competed wearing uniforms sponsored with the name “Azerbaijan.” The country’s advertising was also prominently displayed in large letters at the center of the stadium track and on the side panels in the finish area.
Tour de Ski is a prestigious, multi-stage international tournament in the cross-country skiing discipline. The World Cup stage of the tournament takes place between December 28 and January 4 in Val di Fiemme, Italy, and traditionally ends with a final uphill climbing stage.
A partnership agreement has been signed between the Azerbaijan State Tourism Agency and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) under the banner of developing winter tourism and winter sports, and enabling Azerbaijan to host prestigious international winter sports competitions. The contract was signed last May for a period of five years.
The financial value of this agreement has not been disclosed.
Within the framework of this new partnership, it is emphasized that FIS is expanding its activities internationally in cooperation with the Azerbaijan Tourism Board and representing Azerbaijan with the status of “Global Destination Partner.” The State Tourism Agency states that it aims to promote the development and global recognition of winter sports.
Konde Tangberg, political adviser at Amnesty International Norway, says this is an operation of laundering dirty money through sports and using it for political purposes:
“Azerbaijan’s state tourism agency sponsoring ski tournaments is, of course, purely about serving the political interests of those in power,” he said.
According to Amnesty International, Azerbaijan has long been criticized for human rights violations. More than 30 journalists are imprisoned in the country, and Amnesty says that independent organizations and media are not allowed to operate there.
“Such agreements, while creating positive associations with a country, normalize and legitimize governments that aggressively suppress human rights and pursue climate-hostile policies,” Tangberg said regarding FIS’s choice of sponsor.
In May, speaking to the press, the president of the Norwegian Ski Federation, Tove Moe Dyrhaug, expressed dissatisfaction with the agreement between FIS and Azerbaijan, stating that it does not align with the values they stand for and emphasizing the need for greater transparency and better governance in international sports.
A Norwegian newspaper contacted FIS, which has been criticized by Amnesty.
In an email response, FIS stated that, among other things, cooperation with the Azerbaijan State Tourism Agency is a “crucial strategic step” for expanding their reach to more parts of the world.
Incidentally, none of the 212 athletes competing in the Tour de Ski—neither women nor men—are from Azerbaijan.
On the other hand, one male athlete from Armenia, Mikael Mikaelyan, chose to remove the sponsor’s name from his uniform so that it would not be visible. He was fined for violating the rules.
Azerbaijan has previously used funds obtained from oil revenues to invest in football sponsorships through partnerships with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), one of Spain’s biggest clubs Atlético Madrid, and one of Turkey’s largest clubs, Galatasaray. The contract with Atlético Madrid cost €15.5 million, and the one with Galatasaray €15 million.
The country has also been hosting a Formula 1 World Championship race for several years.
