Fifa boss Sepp Blatter sparks Qatar gay controversy
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani accepts the World Cup trophy
Fifa president Sepp Blatter says gay fans travelling to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar should "refrain from any sexual activities". Gay rights groups have criticised the decision to award the tournament to a country where homosexuality is illegal. But Blatter, apparently joking, said: "I would say they [gay fans] should refrain from any sexual activities." On a more serious note, Blatter added: "I'm sure when the World Cup will be in Qatar there will be no problems." However, former NBA star John Amaechi, who revealed that he was gay in 2007, was highly critical of Blatter's comments. The Islamic country of Qatar was the surprise winner of the race to host the 2022 World Cup, beating Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States when the 22-man Fifa executive committee voted in their favour in Zurich on 2 December.Fifa has since come in for criticism after the decision to take the World Cup to the Middle East for the first time. Concerns were raised about hosting the tournament during the summer months in a country where temperatures can reach 40C to 50C while current laws mean drinking alcohol in public is forbidden. Gay groups are also worried about the acceptance of homosexual fans, with the Gay Football Supporter's Network saying at the time of Fifa's decision: "We strongly condemn Fifa's decision and will be leading a LGBT [Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Transgender] boycott of all activities associated with World Cup 2022. "We do not feel the World Cup should be held in any country that abuses and disregards the basic human rights of LGBT people." But Blatter does not foresee any difficulties, saying: "You see in the Middle East the opening of this culture, it's another culture because it's another religion, but in football we have no boundaries. "We open everything to everybody and I think there shall not be any discrimination against any human beings be it on this side or that side, be it left, right or whatever. "If they want to watch a match somewhere in Qatar 2022, I'm sure they will be admitted to such matches." Blatter says even if there are problems, there is still plenty of time to sort out any issues. "I think there is too much concern for a competition that will be done only in 12 years," he added. "But this gives me the opportunity to say that in Fifa, and this is in the statutes of Fifa, whether it is in politics, whether it is in religion, we don't want racism, and we know what this means, and neither do we want discrimination. "What we want is just to open this game to everybody and open it to all cultures and this is what we are doing in 2022."
If sport can not serve to change society, even temporarily during the duration of an event like the World Cup that invites the world to participate, then it is little more than grown men chasing a ball
Former NBA star John Amaechi
But Amaechi did not see the funny side of Blatter's "refrain from any sexual activities" comments, telling his official website: "The statements and the position adopted by Sepp Blatter and Fifa regarding LGBT fans who would pay the enormous ticket and travel prices to attend the World Cup in 2022 should have been wholly unacceptable a decade ago. "Instead, with little more than an afterthought Fifa has endorsed the marginalisation of LGBT people around the world. "Anything less than a full reversal of his position is unacceptable and if the FA and football and sporting associations around the world fail to acknowledge this insult, they too will be complicit. "If sport cannot serve to change society, even temporarily during the duration of an event like the World Cup that invites the world to participate, then it is little more than grown men chasing a ball and we should treat it as such." Blatter, who was visiting South Africa - the hosts of the 2010 tournament, insisted money had no part in taking the competition to new parts of the world. Russia won the right to host the 2018 competition. "This is development of football and don't speak about money," said Blatter. "This has nothing to do with money as it had nothing to [do with it] with Africa. "It is the development of the game. We have to take to places where it can improve and have a social and cultural impact. And it's what we did here in Africa."
Amaechi was the first NBA star to reveal that he was gay
