Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Grant Wahl dies one day after writing about workers’ death in Qatar on Substack: “They just don’t care. Qatari World Cup organizers don’t even hide their apathy over migrant worker deaths, including the most recent one”.
American sports journalist Grant Wahl unexpectedly died while covering Netherlands vs Argentina at the Qatar World Cup.
His openly gay brother suggests foul play may be involved as Wahl had been detained for wearing a rainbow shirt in his honor at the tournament 2 weeks ago.CBS News is now reporting that Grant Wahl suffered a heart attack during the match:
“Wahl suffered a heart attack Friday in the press box at the stadium where Argentina and Netherlands played their quarterfinal match”.
A cause of death has not been released publicly.
According to the Associated Press, “U.S. media seated near him said Wahl fell back in his seat in the media tribune at Lusail Iconic Stadium during extra time, and reporters adjacent to him called for assistance. Emergency services workers responded very quickly, the reporters said, and the reporters later were told that Wahl had died.”
Wahl wrote on Monday that he had been sick for about 10 days, attributing it to being overworked and not getting much sleep while covering the World Cup before his symptoms eventually got bad enough that he went to a medical clinic in Qatar.
“I went into the medical clinic at the main media center today, and they said I probably have bronchitis,” he wrote. “They gave me a course of antibiotics and some heavy-duty cough syrup, and I’m already feeling a bit better just a few hours later. But still: No bueno.”
He said he tested negative for COVID-19.
Before the United States’ matchup with Wales on Nov. 21, Wahl posted on social media that he was not initially granted access to Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium for wearing a shirt with a rainbow encircling a soccer ball.
Wahl told Kevin Dotson and Ben Morse of CNN after the incident that he had been given assurances he would be allowed to wear such clothing into the stadium. He further explained his decision to wear the shirt:
It’s really important to me and it’s not required by any stretch of the imagination. I’ve got family members who are gay. I’ve got friends who are gay. I’ve got journalist friends who are gay who are here in Qatar. But you don’t need that to be supportive, to be an ally. So, I was thinking about all of those people yesterday. I was thinking about Colorado Springs. I was thinking all sorts of stuff. And if I have to be detained for 30 minutes, it’s kind of annoying. But it’s not an issue for me. And so I was glad to at least help out a little bit.
Wahl wasn’t alone in dealing with issues while attempting to wear pro-LGBQT+ clothing into Qatar’s stadiums.
U.S. media seated near him said Wahl fell back in his seat in the media tribune at Lusail Iconic Stadium during extra time and reporters adjacent to him called for assistance. Emergency services workers responded very quickly, the reporters said, and the reporters later were told that Wahl had died.
Wahl tweeted on Wednesday that he had celebrated his birthday that day. American reporters who knew Wahl said he was 49.
“We could always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game, and its major protagonists,” the U.S. Soccer Federation said in a statement. “Grant’s belief in the power of the game to advance human rights was, and will remain, an inspiration to all. Grant made soccer his life’s work, and we are devastated that he and his brilliant writing will no longer be with us.”
Wahl was covering his eighth World Cup. He wrote Monday on his website that he had visited a medical clinic while in Qatar.
“My body finally broke down on me. Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you,” Wahl wrote. “What had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into something more severe on the night of the USA-Netherlands game, and I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort.”
Wahl wrote that he tested negative for COVID-19 and sought treatment for his symptoms.
“I went into the medical clinic at the main media center today, and they said I probably have bronchitis. They gave me a course of antibiotics and some heavy-duty cough syrup, and I’m already feeling a bit better just a few hours later. But still: No bueno,” he wrote.
Wahl wore a rainbow T-shirt in support of LGBTQ rights to the United States’ World Cup opener against Wales on Nov. 21 and wrote that security refused him entry and told him to remove the shirt. Gay and lesbian sex is criminalized in Qatar, a conservative Muslim nation.
Wahl wrote he was detained for 25 minutes at Ahmed Bin Ali stadium in Al Rayyan, then was let go by a security commander. Wahl said FIFA apologized to him.
His last article reads: “They just don’t care.
The Supreme Committee in charge of Qatar’s World Cup doesn’t care that a Filipino migrant worker died at Saudi Arabia’s training resort during the group stage. He suffered a fatal blow to the head during a fall in a forklift accident (information that was kept under wraps until being broken by The Athletic’s Adam Crafton).
We know the Qatari Supreme Committee doesn’t care because its CEO, Nasser Al-Khater, told you all you needed to hear in an interview with the BBC that was breathtaking in its crassness.
“We’re in the middle of a World Cup, and we have a successful World Cup. And this is something that you want to talk about right now?” Al-Khater said when asked about the worker’s death. “I mean, death is a natural part of life, whether it’s at work, whether it’s in your sleep. Of course, a worker died. Our condolences go to his family. However, it’s strange that this is something that you wanted to focus on as your first question.”
He actually said that. But Al-Khater didn’t stop there.
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