Refugee football fans lament last-minute rejection from Qatar World Cup
Doha, Qatar/Berlin, Germany Reuters Syrian lawyer Amrou Sabahi had hoped to spend his first World Cup at the heart of the action, working behind the scenes at the stadiums in Qatar, the first Arab country to hold the crowning event of soccer. But when the tournament kicks off on Sunday, the 27-year-old will be watching […]
Worker rights: Qatar risks own goal with World Cup
ANURADHA NAGARAJ, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on the ongoing controversy over worker rights in Qatar which from Sunday hosts the World Cup…
Indonesia to demolish soccer stadium where stampede killed over 130
Jakarta, IndonesiaReuters Indonesia will demolish and rebuild a football stadium where a stampede killed more than 130 people this month, President Joko Widodo said on Tuesday as he vowed to “thoroughly transform” the sport in the soccer-mad nation. The President, popularly known as Jokowi, was speaking to reporters at the state palace after meeting Gianni […]
Tear gas, locked gates led to Indonesian soccer stampede, spectators say
Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters It was the closing stages of the match, a soccer derby in Indonesia’s East Java province, and 29-year-old spectator Ahmad Nizar Habibi said he had a gut feeling things were about to turn ugly. “I wanted to leave, but suddenly I heard explosions,” he said, describing rounds of tear gas fired as […]
Explainer – Indonesia football stadium tragedy: what happened, death toll, and reaction
Reuters At least 125 people died over the weekend in Indonesia when a soccer match between two teams that were fierce rivals ended in a stampede, marking one of the world’s worst stadium disasters in recent decades. The incident in East Java province has sparked outrage and grief in Indonesia, where sports commentators and activists […]
ESSAY: THE CULTURE WARS NEED TO MAKE A SAFE SPACE FOR SOCCER STAR’S CONSCIENCE
US commentator on religion and politics, JACOB LUPFER, in an article first published by Religion News Service, says the case of US soccer player Jaelene Hinkle highlights the need for differing views on issues – including those related to faith – to be accommodated within the world of sport…
Nigeria thwarts World Cup child trafficking plot at airport
Thomson Reuters Foundation Ten Nigerian children have been rescued from human traffickers planning to fly them to Russia and exploit relaxed visa controls for the World Cup, anti-trafficking officials said on Tuesday. Five suspects, including a policeman and a quarantine officer, were arrested at Lagos’ main airport for allegedly recruiting the victims – nine girls […]
KNOW IT ALL: THE FIFA WORLD CUP
DAVID ADAMS has a look at the World Cup…