David Beckham Issues His First Statement Regarding His Participation in the Qatar World Cup
David Beckham said through a representative to a US publication that he “has always thought that sport has the power to be a force for good in the world.” This was his first public statement about his controversial role with Qatar, which is hosting the World Cup.
“We know that there are different and strong opinions about engagement in the Middle East, but we see it as a good thing that the first World Cup to be held in the region has directly sparked debate about the most important issues,” the statement said.
It said, “We hope that these talks will lead to a better understanding of and compassion for all people, as well as to progress.” The comment, which was published in the New York Times, came after Beckham, 47, was heavily criticised for getting millions of pounds from Qatar to be an ambassador for the games.
Even though Qatar has strict policies against LGBTQ+ rights, a bad human rights record, and reports of mistreatment of migrant workers, The former England captain advocated for Visit Qatar in a film.”When new and old come together, they make something special,” he said.
In a later video, he said that the World Cup would help people grow, become more open-minded, and accept each other. The LGBTQ+ movement has criticised Beckham’s support for Qatar, saying that it goes against what he says about gay rights.
Last month, Piara Powar, the director of Fare, told the Observer that people like David Beckham are starting to realise that human rights are universal and can’t be changed. I think that the LGBTQ+ people in western Europe will see him as a traitor or a former friend.
A Times article looked at why Beckham wasn’t at the games even though his picture was all over Doha. The article said that Beckham had put conditions on his public appearances in Qatar, like not telling reporters ahead of time and keeping Beckham from being questioned.
A player’s publicist argued that he was not there. “As a player and ambassador, David has been involved in a number of World Cups and other important international competitions, and he has always believed that sports can be a force for good in the world,” the statement said.
Qatar is left out of the sentence. That may anger Qatari officials, who are said to be upset that Beckham has avoided questions and not spoken up for the country he is paid to represent, which has become “counterproductive” for Qatar. The report said that despite their millions of dollars, the Qatari organisers thought that their country was getting more attention.
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