The Long Game: Sports Stories of Courage and Conviction

It's no coincidence that factories and toxic waste facilities have been built near poor communities and communities of color. It's part of the larger systems of racism that exist all over the world. But for a long time, the people most affected by environmental threats have been largely absent from the broader conversation. But there's one environmental activist trying to change all that. Taking his cues from Captain Planet, his favorite cartoon from the 1990s, former American football player Ovie Mughelli is using his love of sports and comic books to help create the next generation of environmental superheroes.To learn more about the Ovie Mughelli Foundation, email hello@omfgreen.org. That's it for this season of The Long Game. We'll be working on Season 2. If you have ideas for future episodes, please write to us at:Write to us at podcasts@foreignpolicy.com or tag us on social: @dohadebates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2012, Annet Negesa qualified to represent Uganda in the 800-meter run at the London Olympics. But just weeks before the Games, she got a call from her agent. A test had shown high levels of naturally-occurring testosterone in her blood. She would not be allowed to compete. In an attempt to restore her eligibility, Annet underwent a serious, irreversible surgery that derailed her career and left her with serious medical side effects. Now, Annet is sharing her story to try to help other women avoid the same fate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For as long as she can remember, Iona Rothfeld has loved playing soccer. But in Chile, soccer is considered a “boys” sport. When she was 13 years old, Iona was named to the Chilean Women's National Soccer Team. She thought she had finally found a place where women's soccer was respected. Instead, she was issued hand-me-down jerseys and told to shower in locker rooms that didn't have hot water. But in 2016, at the age of 23, Iona founded the first union for women's soccer players in all of Latin America. And things are finally starting to change in Chile. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ibrahim Al Hussein grew up watching the Olympics on TV. He was a swimmer. And he dreamed of someday being one of the athletes up on the podium. But Ibrahim became one of the 5.6 million people who have left Syria since the start of the Civil War after losing his leg in a bomb blast. He still hasn't been able to return to his home country, but in 2016, he became one of two paralympians to compete in Rio as part of the Refugee Olympic team – a team formed by the IOC in response to the number of stateless athletes looking for avenues to compete at the Olympics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mohamed Salah is one of the best forwards in the English Premier League. He is a Muslim, playing in a league that has a reputation for racism and Islamophobia. But that hasn't stopped Liverpool fans from rallying around their star. Salah doesn't give a lot of interviews about his faith. You won't see him leading a lot of protests or marches. But he does put his faith on display -- very publicly and very consistently. And since he's started playing in Liverpool, Islamophobia in the surrounding area has dropped significantly. Now, social scientists are wondering what Salah's popularity can teach us about how athletes can change attitudes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to dealing with adversity, Scout Bassett has had more than her fair share. Born in Nanjing, China, she was abandoned after losing her leg in a fire when she was around 18 months old. At age seven she was adopted by a family in the United States and had to adjust to a new language and new culture. Despite her disability, Bassett was always passionate about sports, and eventually learned to run using a prosthetic leg. Bassett tells her story to host Ibtihaj Muhammad about how she eventually made it to the Paralympic Games and in the process became an icon for perseverance and determination. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Honey Thaljieh grew up in a war zone. One day, on the streets of Bethlehem, she passed by a group of boys playing football. By chance, they passed her the ball. Soon, Honey discovered that she was a gifted athlete. But more than that, football became Honey's path to freedom and dignity. It took her to Europe and the U.S., where she saw young people, far from the tragic backdrop of war, playing on manicured grass fields smooth enough to shoot pool on. In 2003, Honey helped found the Palestinian Women's National Football team. She was named its first captain. Now retired from competition, Honey works as a Manager of Corporate Communications for FIFA. We want to hear from you! To fill out our 2021 listener survey, go to survey.fan/foreignpolicy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 1995 Rugby World Cup marked the end of apartheid and South Africa's return to the international sports stage. The home team -- the Springboks -- weren't expected to go far. Instead, they won it all. And if that sounds to you like the kind of thing Hollywood would make a movie about, you're right. It's the story at the center of Invictus, the 2009 film directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. The movie ends with Nelson Mandela being driven away from the stadium in Johannesburg, his car surrounded by overjoyed fans. But the true impact of that day -- and that game -- is still felt in South Africa today.We want to hear from you! To fill out our 2021 listener survey, go to survey.fan/foreignpolicy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whenever an athlete steps onto a field, court, or fencing strip, they bring with them all that they are: their background, their lived experiences and their religion. But for some athletes, their faith is a bit more visible than it is for others. As a college basketball player, Batouly Camara made three Final Four appearances with the University of Connecticut. She's the daughter of immigrants, a children's book author, and she's the founder of WAKE, Women and Kids Empowerment. It's a non-profit dedicated to helping women and girls get access to sports and education. And if that's not enough, she's also one of the first Muslim women to play professional basketball in hijab.We want to hear from you! To fill out our 2021 listener survey, go to survey.fan/foreignpolicy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's an upside to hosting a mega-sized sporting event. Governments plan new roads and train stations and airports. Corporate sponsors and foreign investors pile on. And when you build it, people come. Different people, new people, who may not have visited before. Often, these mega-sized sporting events also bring with them a spotlight on whatever problems plague the host nation. For the 2022 Qatar World Cup, that spotlight has led to increased international scrutiny of the treatment of migrant workers. But how effective is this mega-event activism? And what happens when the circus leaves town and the spotlight goes dark? Reporter Ken Shulman looks at three case studies -- South Africa, Brazil and, of course, Qatar, to learn more. Because this episode touches on labor issues in Qatar, a disclosure: Doha Debates is a production of Qatar Foundation, which is a state-led non-profit organization in Qatar.We want to hear from you! To fill out our 2021 listener survey, go to survey.fan/foreignpolicy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rivalry between the cricket teams of India and Pakistan is a little like if a billion people tuned into a Red Sox - Yankees game. Add in nationalistic fervor on both sides, and things can get tense. When Pakistan beat India in 1978, the Pakistani captain declared it a victory for all Muslims against Hindus. But until recently, Pakistan had never beaten India in a World Cup match. That changed when the Pakistani team made an unexpected run all the way to the 2021 T20 World Cup semi-final. And as Pakistani fans watched social media videos of their team visiting the Namibian dressing room and sharing a birthday cake with members of the Scotland team, some started asking, “Is this the future of cricket diplomacy?”We want to hear from you! To fill out our 2021 listener survey, go to survey.fan/foreignpolicy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Growing up in Afghanistan, Friba Rezayee didn't always do as she was told. She didn't enjoy the games the girls were supposed to play. So she played outside with the boys, even though it wasn't allowed. As a teenager, Friba was introduced to the sport of judo, and she immediately knew that this would be how she would fight for her freedom. Friba qualified for the Olympics in 2004 and became the first woman to compete for Afghanistan at the Olympic Games. More recently, she founded the Women Leaders of Tomorrow, a non-profit dedicated to bringing sports and education to women and girls in Afghanistan. Her mission is to help create her country's future leaders. But now that the Taliban is back in power, what's to become of Friba's dream?We want to hear from you! To fill out our 2021 listener survey, go to survey.fan/foreignpolicy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On The Long Game, we highlight stories of courage and conviction on and off the field. From athletes who are breaking barriers for women and girls to a Syrian refugee swimmer who overcame the odds to compete at the Paralympics, The Long Game examines the power of sport to change the world for the better. The Long Game is hosted by Olympic medalist and change agent Ibtihaj Muhammad as she guides the series around the globe to meet athletes who are fighting for change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.