Halifax Eurekas of the Coloured Hockey League, Nova Scotia – Creative Commons

Sports and politics are more intertwined than you want to think.

Amanda Lou

To me, sports have always represented the status quo, the white, upper-middle class masculine hegemony of the able-bodied. 

Maybe because the only sports I would watch was the NHL with my dad. 

Don’t get me wrong, sports are a great way to build community. It’s a method of bonding with others, whether you play or watch from the stands. Sports can also be a great way to start tough political conversations. 

There seems to be this illusion that athletes are untouchable superhumans who don’t face adversities off the field. “For professional athletes it’s a little distinct and different because they’re expected to compete and consistently perform at this ridiculously elite level of play, all while being open or vulnerable to criticism from people around the world,” said Kristi Oshiro, an assistant professor at Belmont University and researcher on racism and sports, in an interview for CNN in 2022. 

The misconception that sports can abstain from politics is silly. Historically, sports have been one of the first social outlets marginalized communities could participate in. 

For example, The Coloured Hockey League (CHL), an all-Black hockey league founded by four Nova Scotian men in 1895. At the height of its popularity, the league was composed 

of over 12 teams across Nova Scotia. “With no rules except the Bible,” the CHL has been cited as the innovative source of certain hockey moves, including but not limited to the slap shot (which is credited to Eddie Martin). That is not to say the CHL did not face any racial discrimination from rink owners, and eventually had to unceremoniously end when the government tried to remove Africaville, a predominantly black community in Halifax, from the map. 

The reality is, athletes are affected by politics on and off the field. Politics can determine who has the ability to access sports. 

In 1948, the first Chinese-Canadian to play in the CFL was Norman Kwong, who made his debut just one year after Chinese-Canadians were given the right to vote in Canada. As an alum athlete, Kwong also used their public platform as a segue into politics. And he hasn’t been the only one. 

Ultimate frisbee player Lara Mussell Savage was Chief of the Sqwá First Nation. 

Former CFL centre Obby Khan has been a leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, leader since April 2025. 

If you’re dismissive of politics in sports, chances are you are upholding the status quo. Challenging the status quo in sports is political. Being a marginalized athlete moves the goal post towards the future.