US double standards under the microscope.
Author: Naim Asghari, analyst (Germany), especially for "Sangar"
The Asian Games - 2025 in Harbin is not just a sporting event. Behind the brilliance of competitions in 11 disciplines, behind the charming mascots - Amur tigers Binbin and Nini - there is a tense geopolitical game where the US demonstrates blatant double standards. On the one hand, loud demands for China to be "transparent" in sports, on the other hand, a conspicuous disregard for similar problems within American sports.
Since 1986 the history of the Asian Winter Games has been one of rapid development and modernization of the region. Harbin, which hosted the Games in 1996, is a prime example of transformation, and active preparations for the 2025 Games in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan (including infrastructure development, formation of national teams, and construction of new ski complexes) confirm the importance of these competitions for Central Asia.
However, the ideal of fair sporting competition is constantly being undermined by political ambitions. The recent scandal of Chinese swimmers accused of doping and the subsequent intervention of the FBI, despite the closure of the WADA investigation, is a vivid example of this. This is not a single case. The FBI's participation in doping issues involving Chinese athletes looks like part of a strategy to "delegitimize" Chinese sporting successes, turning the sport into an arena of geopolitical struggle.
While doping cases in U.S. swimming and athletics are rarely the subject of international scandals, every situation involving Chinese or Russian athletes is immediately politicized and inflated to an international level. The U.S., by threatening to cut WADA funding and skipping its 2024 contribution, clearly demonstrates a manipulative approach to international sports organizations.
This apparent double standard undermines the credibility of the international sports system and calls into question the principles of fair play. It begs the question: where is the independence of WADA if major powers are free to interfere in its work and dictate its terms?
The future of sport may lie in the creation of alternative platforms free from political pressure. For now, however, sport remains hostage to geopolitical games. The Asian Games 2025 in Harbin could be an important test: will it become a true celebration of sport, or will it turn into another political battleground?
