The Qatari government have confirmed that a worker died at a resort used by Saudi Arabia at the World Cup.
Details on the incident are few and far between. All we know is that it occurred during the group stage, which took place between November 20 and December 2.
Although the Sealine Beach Resort existed before the World Cup, we can’t forget the controversy surrounding the competition. Amnesty International, confirmed that abused migrants had had no choice but to build state-of-the-art stadiums with zero rewards.
Furthermore, the report claims they can’t leave the Middle Eastern country and must wait months to receive payment. Yet FIFA sit back and enjoy the enormous financial profit.
The Athletic broke the news that a Filipino man slipped off a ramp into concrete, while walking next to a forklift truck.
A Qatari government official said: “If the investigation concludes that safety protocols were not followed, the company will be subject to legal action and severe financial penalties.
“Compensation is paid through the Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund when a worker has been injured or passed away due to a work-related incident, or when an employer is unable to pay salaries.”
Read: Lewis Hamilton reveals letter from 14-year-old Saudi boy on death row (sporf.com)
FIFA comment on the death of a worker at the Qatar World Cup
Football’s governing body released the following statement: “FIFA is deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the worker’s family.
“As soon as FIFA was made aware of the accident, we contacted the local authorities to request more details.
“FIFA will be in a position to comment further once the relevant processes in relation to the worker’s passing are complete.”
FIFA have not confirmed whether any other workers have died throughout the World Cup. However, that doesn’t take away from the negative aura surrounding the event. While ‘football fever’s’ taken over the world, most fans are more than aware of the reality of the situation we find ourselves in.
We can only hope that tournaments arent distributed this way in the future.
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay
