133 - Qatar Migrant Deaths and International Sports Scandals - Redux

The World Cup chief Hassan Al-Thawadi admitted to hundreds of migrant deaths, building the Qatar Fifa stadiums. Is the thrill of a game worth their sacrifice?

When Hassan Al-Thawadi copped to “between 400 and 500 migrant worker deaths” critics of the World Cup criticized that he was about 6,000 souls short. According to The Guardian back in 2021, the total was closer to 6,500 skilled laborers who were forced to work in extreme heat, unsafe working conditions, and slave-like labor contracts.

Today we’re airing an episode Todd and Joe recorded back in June of 2021. We’ll look at the shady bidding process Qatar underwent to secure the privilege to host the World Cup. Then we ask ourselves: Why? Why international sports in general? Is it worth the bodies buried at the feet the stadiums? International sports are supposed to be good for morale, both for the host country, and for the individual who cheers from the couch as someone wearing their flag scores a goal. So we’ll first examine the neurological process we undergo when we see our heroes emerge victorious. Then we’ll look at the lives of the athlete themselves, how much they earn, and if it’s worth the price they pay with their body and mind. We’ll also talk about why the backstage of the Olympics is usually an orgy filled with used condoms - or worse, a systematic displacement of the impoverished. And we’ll speculate on the real reason countries try to outbid on another to host an international event. Spoiler: It’s not just for those sweet, sweet tourism dollars.

Links:

https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/29/football/qatar-world-cup-migrant-worker-deaths-spt-intl/index.html

https://www.insider.com/qatars-world-cup-chief-400-500-migrants-died-not-6500-2022-11

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63628537

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoHEGPcuhHk&t=543s&ab_channel=BBCNews

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImbtDK6ub6w&ab_channel=BBCNews