Manchester United and England football legend, David Beckham has been lambasted over his new role as an ambassador for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Gatekeepers News reports that the deal is said to be worth £15 million a year, totalling £150 million in the next decade.
The ambassadorial deal was a result of Beckham’s close friendship with the Qatari president of PSG, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, when the former Manchester United star played for the club in 2013.
Earlier this month, Beckham was seen touring the country, exploring Doha’s metro system and dining out at swanky restaurants.
His mouthwatering deal is however a disappointment to some who accused him of neglecting the alleged human rights abuses, homophobia and misogyny in the Middle Eastern country in return for stuffing his pockets.
Critics believe Beckham’s role as an ambassador is in direct conflict with his role as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations’ children’s fund UNICEF, where he has raised awareness and vital funds for urgent – and often hidden – issues affecting children, including malnutrition, emergencies, violence against children and AIDS.
“His decision to act as an ambassador for a homophobic regime like Qatar is a big blow,” British campaigner Peter Tatchell told Telegraph Sport, adding that Beckham had previously “supported our battle for equality when many others did not”.
Amnesty International said it’s no surprise Beckham wants to be involved in a global event like the World Cup but advised him to learn about the deeply concerning human rights situation in Qatar and to be prepared to address it.
“Qatar’s human rights record is troubling – from the country’s longstanding mistreatment of migrant workers to its curbs on free speech and the criminalisation of same-sex relations.
“Qatar’s mistreatment of migrant workers – the people whose hard work is making the World Cup possible – is especially disturbing.
“David Beckham should use his unique worldwide profile to keep the world’s focus on the human rights issues surrounding the matches, and not just the play on the pitch”, said Amnesty International UK CEO Sacha Deshmukh.
Others feel this is just another example of the ‘sports-washing’ currently happening in world soccer.
Gatekeepers News reports that sports-washing is a term is used when an individual, group, corporation, or nation-state uses sport to improve its reputation and public image. At the nation-state level, it is generally used to direct attention away from a poor human rights record.
Also reacting, the End Sportswashing campaign said it was a “very disappointing decision by David Beckham to sell his image to this #sportswashing exercise. He should instead be using his position to draw attention to Qatar’s human rights record and treatment of its migrant workers.”
Although, Beckham is yet to publicly respond to the criticism, but sources close to him say he is working with the country because he believes in the power of football to inspire positive change.
A source close said, “Some of the laws and beliefs in the region differ to his own but the Qataris have always said that everyone will be safe and welcome at the World Cup in 2022 and he believes that commitment is sincere and has seen evidence of proactive engagement with the international LBGTQ community by the World Cup organisers.”
Beckham’s spokesperson had previously said, “David has been visiting Qatar regularly for over a decade and went on to play for PSG so he has seen the passion for football in the country and the long-term commitment that’s been made to hosting this World Cup and delivering a lasting legacy for the region. He’s always talked about the power of football as a force for good.”
Fehamb Media 