Slaves for the World Cup
BY MIN HEO
Hosting the World Cup is the envy of many nations, and countries around the world vie to be the next host for one of the largest global sporting events. But what is left out of the public eye when such large events occur is the challenge of preparing event infrastructure. Specifically, the majority of observers and fans ignore the workers who bear the burden of erecting the structures that allow millions of people worldwide to enjoy the game. For example, eight workers were killed during construction of the stadiums for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, six more than were killed in preparation for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. It is an outrage that workers are sacrificed in the construction of athletic facilities, and their deaths should make us wonder why there was so little objection from the public. The human rights problems in South Africa and Brazil are small, however, compared to the tragedy of workers’ rights in the construction of stadiums for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Guardian has predicted a death toll of 600 construction workers each year in Qatar, which translates to a total of almost 4,000 fatalities by 2022.
The Guardian also reported that a 1.2-million person workforce consisting mostly of Nepalese and Indian migrant workers currently toil in 122-degree heat in Qatar. An additional million workers will be brought in as preparations for the World Cup continue. In addition to harsh conditions, workers earn as little as £4.9 ($7.90) a day. Many have their passports confiscated to prevent them from leaving Qatar.
How can the world turn a blind eye to the fact that, in an age of acute awareness of human rights issues, the abhorrent working conditions for workers in certain parts of the world are almost completely ignored? This brings us to a much larger question about modern day sports. Sports in all parts of the world have become massive markets, and soccer has had a particularly powerful reach. Walk around every major city in the world and you will see people wearing national team jerseys, club jerseys, or other forms of soccer clothing in support of their favorite team. Today, we hire experts just to analyze the statistics of players and their transfer value. The soccer economy is huge, and certain clubs have more money than small nations. While we shouldn’t necessarily condemn the large revenues that sports clubs receive, we must realize that the thrill of sports games has perhaps blinded us to what goes on behind the scenes. Sports are a great form of entertainment, but when audience enjoyment is supported by the degradation of human rights, sports lose their value.
Certain measures need to be taken to ensure that while people get to enjoy the pleasure of the game, no one gets left behind in the process. FIFA has clearly been derelict in this duty. FIFA has failed to take any measures as of yet to either relocate the 2022 World Cup or to ensure the safety of workers in Qatar. The number of violations in Qatar are unprecedented and FIFA need to take a firmer stance on this outrage, not only for the sake of the workers, but also for the integrity of international sportsmanship. The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro are coming up, and they present another threat to worker rights. FIFA should take a stand to show that sports games should not involve the sacrifice of human lives.