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| Speaking to BBC sports editor Dan Roan, Al-Thawadi added: "We should not be apologetic over our ambitions to host this tournament because we are football loving region. "We are football crazy and football mad like anywhere else. We have the legitimate ambition to showcase our region to the rest of the world and to change people's perception of who we are." (Photo from newsexpressngr) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] The secretary general of the 2022 Qatar World Cup says criticism by players and managers has been "ill-informed" and the nation "should not be apologetic" about hosting the tournament. Qatar has been heavily criticized over the country's human rights record, BBC Sports reported.
There are strict anti-LGBTIQ+ laws in Qatar, while there are also concerns over the treatment of migrant workers. "Some people have made statements that in my opinion were ill-informed," Hassan Al-Thawadi told BBC Sport. Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and human rights organization Amnesty International says women and LGBTIQ+ people "continue to face discrimination in law and practice".
LGBTIQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer, or questioning) groups engaging with Fifa over the 2022 World Cup say "issues of concern" remain and reassurances over the safety of LGBTIQ+ people in the Gulf nation "have not been adequate". On how Qatar's laws can be reconciled with football's focus on inclusivity and anti-discrimination, Al-Thawadi said: "We have always said everybody is welcome. What we will ensure is that everybody will be safe. Everybody will feel secure. Amnesty International, which has claimed migrant workers are being exploited in Qatar, has called on England's players, staff, and fans to highlight human rights concerns in the run-up to the World Cup, which begins on 21 November.
