SPORTS SHOULD NOT BE POLITICISED, SAYS MACRON

SPORTS should not be politicised,

French President Emmanuel Macron said this week, brushing off suggestions that he should boycott the Fifa World

Cup that starts in Qatar tomorrow.

Qatar hosting rights for the World Cup has been marred by controversy, including accusations of corruption and human rights violations, as well as concerns over its environmental impact.

It has faced criticism from rights groups over the treatment of migrant workers, open-air air-conditioning at stadiums and the fact that homosexuality is illegal in the Muslim country.

Some rights groups and politicians have called for a diplomatic boycott, saying that political leaders should not travel to Qatar for the event, even if their team qualified for the final stages.

Asked about that during a visit to Thailand, Macron, whom French media say would travel to Qatar if Les Bleus reach the semi-finals, said: “Sports should not be politicised.”

“Whether the question is climate or whether it is about human rights, you should not ask yourself those questions when the event occurs, but when it is attributed” to a host country, he said. | Reuters