Chris Evert expresses shock after Qatari official admits to 400 and 500 migrant workers' deaths while working on 2022 FIFA World Cup projects
The controversy surrounding the ongoing edition of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar took a new turn on Tuesday, prompting Chris Evert to express her shock.
Evert was reacting to an interview with a senior official of the tournament organizing committee, who admitted for the first time that between 400 and 500 migrant workers had lost their lives while working on World Cup projects.
Hassan al-Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, told Piers Morgan that "one death is a death is too many" but defended the organizers by claiming that continuous improvement on the sites had been commended by trade unions.
"The estimate is around 400. Between 400 and 500. I don’t have the precise number, that is something that is being discussed. [But] every year the health and safety standards on the sites are improving, at least on our sites, the World Cup sites, the ones we are responsible for. Most definitely to the extent that you have trade unions [commending] the work that has been done on World Cup sites and the improvement,” Hassan al-Thawadi stated on the Piers Morgan Uncensored show.
World Cup boss Hassan Al-Thawadi tells Piers Morgan 400-500 migrant workers have died as a result of work done on projects connected to the tournament.
"Yes, improvements have to happen."
@piersmorgan | @TalkTV | #PMUQatar https://t.co/Cf9bgKCFZe
The story caught Evert's attention, who took to social media to state her shock at the information. She tweeted:
"WHAT?????"
WHAT????? https://t.co/E9QzSgmhJQ
Social media users were quick to direct Chris Evert's attention to a story published last year that claimed 6500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka had died after Qatar was awarded the World Cup in 2014.
@ChrissieEvert It was originally estimated to be 4000 but this article claims its 6500+ and could be more. It's complicated
lemonde.fr/en/les-decodeu…
Officials had earlier claimed that there had been only three fatalities on World Cup sites and 37 non-work-related migrant worker deaths.
The FIFA World Cup has been under a cloud ever since Qatar was chosen as the host country with the country facing a backlash over its human rights record and stance on the rights of the LGBT community.
Chris Evert's long-time friend and rival Martina Navratilova has also been critical of how journalists have been treated in Qatar during the prestigious tournament.
"Along with great tennis, a great group of guys" - Chris Evert lauds Canadian Davis Cup team after maiden win
Chris Evert lauded the members of the Canadian Davis Cup squad who scripted history by defeating Australia to win the title for the first time.
While Felix-Auger Aliassime got the better of Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4, Denis Shapovalov defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-2, 6-4.
The 67-year-old American great, while responding to Billie Jean King's social media post congratulating the Canadians, described them as "a great group of guys."
"I second that! Well done Canada! Along with great tennis, a great group of guys," the seven-time French Open champion wrote.
twitter.com/billiejeanking…
I second that! Well done Canada! Along with great tennis, a great group of guys..👍👏💪❤️ twitter.com/billiejeanking…