{"id":4715,"date":"2022-09-28T20:39:25","date_gmt":"2022-09-28T20:39:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/world-cup-2022-denmark-to-wear-toned-down-jerseys-in-protest-at-hosts-qatar\/"},"modified":"2022-09-28T20:39:25","modified_gmt":"2022-09-28T20:39:25","slug":"world-cup-2022-denmark-to-wear-toned-down-jerseys-in-protest-at-hosts-qatar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/?p=4715","title":{"rendered":"World Cup 2022: Denmark to wear ‘toned down’ jerseys in protest at hosts Qatar"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Kit provider Hummel say it “does not wish to be visible” during the World Cup in Qatar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Denmark will wear “toned down” shirts for the World Cup to protest against host Qatar’s human rights record and its treatment of migrant workers.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Kit provider Hummel has also designed a third, all-black kit, to represent the “colour of mourning”.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Hummel said it “does not wish to be visible” in a tournament it claims “has cost thousands of lives”.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We support the Danish national team but that isn’t the same as supporting Qatar as a host nation,” it said.<\/span><\/p>\n

As part of the design, the Denmark badge is also “toned down”. Their playing kit will be a plain red home shirt and an all-white second kit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Denmark’s training kit sponsors will also withdraw their logos to give room for messages critical of Qatar.<\/span><\/p>\n

Qatar officials have previously disputed the figures on the death of migrant workers working on World Cup facilities, saying the actual total figure at the time in 2021 was 37.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hummel said: “We wish to make a statement about Qatar’s human rights record and its treatment of the migrant workers that have built the country’s World Cup stadiums.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We believe that sport should bring people together. And when it doesn’t, we want to make a statement.”<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the Qatar 2022 supreme committee, which organises the tournament, disputed Hummel’s claims about the deaths of migrant workers.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We have engaged in robust and transparent dialogue with the Danish Football Association (DBU),” a statement said.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We wholeheartedly reject the trivialising of our genuine commitment to protect the health and safety of the 30,000 workers who built stadiums and other tournament projects.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We have worked diligently alongside the Qatari government to ensure that the tournament delivers a lasting social legacy.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The committee also urged the DBU to “accurately convey the outcome of their extensive communication and work with the [committee]” to Hummel.<\/span><\/p>\n

BBC Sport has approached Fifa for comment.<\/span><\/p>\n

How have other nations responded?<\/h3>\n

Denmark have previously said they will put <\/span>“extra pressure” on Fifa over human rights concerns<\/span> in the build-up to the World Cup, which starts on 20 November.<\/span><\/p>\n

England captain Harry Kane plans to wear a OneLove armband during the World Cup as part of a campaign started by the Netherlands to promote diversity and inclusion, and stand against discrimination. <\/span><\/p>\n

Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Wales and Switzerland are also supporting the initiative.<\/span><\/p>\n

Qatar has been heavily criticised over the country’s human rights record, including strict anti-LGBT laws and concerns over the treatment of migrant workers. <\/span><\/p>\n

The secretary general of the World Cup <\/span>told the BBC in March that criticism has been “ill-informed”<\/span> and the nation “should not be apologetic” about hosting the tournament.<\/span><\/p>\n

Seven new stadiums are being built for the event, as well as a new airport, new roads and about 100 new hotels. Qatar’s government says 30,000 foreign labourers have been hired just to build the stadiums – most come from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and the Philippines.<\/span><\/p>\n

Human rights groups have complained about the treatment of foreign labourers in Qatar, and the number who have died there.<\/span><\/p>\n

In February 2021, the Guardian said 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had died in Qatar since it won its World Cup bid.<\/span><\/p>\n

The number is based on figures provided by the countries’ embassies in Qatar.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the Qatar government said the total was misleading, because not all the deaths recorded were of people working on World Cup-related projects.<\/span><\/p>\n

The government said its accident records showed that between 2014 and 2020,\u00a0there were 37 deaths\u00a0among labourers at World Cup stadium construction sites, only three of which were “work-related”.<\/span><\/p>\n

BBC Arabic has also gathered evidence which suggests Qatar’s government has under-reported deaths among foreign labourers.<\/span><\/p>\n

England’s Football Association has backed calls for compensation to be awarded for “any injury or death related to any construction project” for the World Cup.<\/span><\/p>\n