Dark side of 2022 Qatar World Cup

New reports have revealed the dark side of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, accusing the Persian Gulf country of bribing FIFA officials and endangering the lives of more than 4,000 migrant construction workers preparing the country for the tournament.

Britain’s The Sunday Times newspaper says it has obtained secret documents, emails, letters and bank transfers which prove that the former Qatari football official Mohamed Bin Hammam has made payments up to 5 million dollars to football officials in return for their support for Qatar’s bid.

However, both Doha and Bin Hammam deny any wrongdoing.

The awarding of the controversial 2022 World Cup to Qatar has come amid criticism over the Persian Gulf state’s exploitation of migrant workers.

The rights group, Amnesty International, has in a recent report said workers suffer “alarming” levels of exploitation such as dangerous working conditions and non-payment of wages in Qatar’s construction sector ahead of the important sport event.

According to the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), at least 4,000 migrant workers could die before the tournament kicks off in eight years if the current conditions do not change.