Sports
FIFA urges nations participating in Qatar World Cup to focus on football
World football governing body FIFA has urged all 32 countries that will participate in in the 2022 World Cup, to focus on the football.
The tournament billed to hold in Qatar has been a subject of controversy, with the country receiving tons of backlashes especially toward issues around human rights.
Qatar won the rights to host the World Cup back in 2010, and had since commissioned the building of seven new stadiums, an airport and 100 hotels among other facilities.
The middle-east country has been criticised for its stance on same-sex relationships, its human rights record and its treatment of migrant workers, with peaceful protests being planned by some players.
Read Also: Neymar targets sixth World Cup title for Brazil in Qatar
Now the game’s world governing body has now written to all competing nations.
In addition to calling on countries to “now focus on the football” the letter, signed by Fifa president Gianni Infantino and secretary general Fatma Samoura says: “Everyone is welcome regardless of origin, background, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or nationality.”
It also states: “We are aware that there are many challenges and difficulties of a political nature all around the world.”
The Qatar World Cup will kick off on 20 November and end on 18 December 2022.
Join the conversation
Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.
If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.
Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.
INVESTIGATION: In Kwara, multimillion-naira milk processing plant is abandoned, converted to a chicken outlet
After the government spent millions of naira to establish a milk processing plant in Kwara State that would provided jobs...
SPECIAL REPORT: For Sokoto communities, promise of healthcare is akin to death sentence
In this story, ABDULRASHEED HAMMAD delves into the dire realities of Primary Health Care services in Sokoto State, shedding light...
ICYMI…SPECIAL REPORT: NNPCL hides behind PIA to frustrate disclosure, accountability
Nigeria’s major oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), in what appears to be a common practice of disregard...
INVESTIGATION: Multi-million naira Ekiti resort center remains uncompleted a decade after
The multimillion-naira project, expected to comprise recreational buildings, now consists of cassava farmland, a bush used for excretion, and a...
SPECIAL REPORT: Torturous experiences of students with disabilities in Oyo tertiary institutions
For students with disabilities in Oyo state-owned tertiary institutions, learning is a torturous and distressing experience, considering the building structures...