Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Joseph Ali

Group of Wales fans to boycott World Cup in Qatar over anti-LGBT laws despite 'dream come true'

A number of Wales football fans have pledged to boycott World Cup hosts Qatar despite their joy at the Welsh team qualifying for a World Cup for the first time in 64 years.

Rob Page's men beat Ukraine 1-0 in the play-off final last weekend to secure their spot in the finals, being staged in November and December and for the first time in the Middle East, but the decision to stage the tournament in Qatar, however, has been criticised due to its human rights record and stance on gay rights.

That means some fans are unhappy about the prospect of heading to the World Cup hosts this winter, with homosexuality being illegal in Qatar and punishable with a jail sentence of up to seven years.

Read more: Inside the Welsh ballroom scene as it goes from strength to strength

Tracey Brown, of Wales' official LGBTQ+ supporters' group Rainbow Wall, said: "On one one hand I'm stoked that we've got there, it's been a long time coming. If it was anywhere else in the world I would be thinking 'I want to be there supporting'. But I'm going to be sat at home watching us play because I don't feel safe to go."

Another fan James Brinning told WalesOnline it was a "dream come true" seeing his team make it to the World Cup but admitted that Qatar being the host nation concerned him.

"I was so excited about us qualifying, it was a dream come true," he said. "I didn't really think ahead of worrying where the World Cup would be because of my sexuality. We've seen [footballer] Jack Daniels come out recently and there were tweets by FIFA about Pride Month recently and the whole football world came together.

"In the same year though they've given the World Cup to a country where you can face the death penalty for being gay. Obviously if [Jack Daniels] were to go and try and stay in a hotel room with his partner, he probably couldn't be able to do that. It's bonkers. And it's not just the LGBT+ rights, there's huge issues involving human rights. People have died constructing the stadiums. There's just loads of concerns, really."

Fatma Al-Nuaimi, communications executive of Qatar's supreme committee for organising the tournament, told BBC Sport: "It's a tournament for everyone, tournament of firsts, and a tournament where everyone will be welcome."

However, Tracey added: "Just saying it's safe while a competition is on doesn't seem right. So FIFA said you're safe to be yourself for a period of the World Cup, but when I leave there's still an LGBTQ+ community who pretty much live in hiding. They're not safe and I have to stand by my values. I want to go to a country where I feel safe and welcome all the time."

FAW chief executive Noel Mooney has said Wales would be part of a working group along with other qualified European nations "to pool our concerns" to Qatari tournament organisers.

"There's been many meetings, I've seen the notes and the meetings where they raise all the issues," Mooney told BBC Radio Wales. "There is on-the-ground visits from many different countries and seeing the conditions behind the scenes, seeing issues like the laws of the country etc.

"We look forward to discussing all these issues leading up to the competition and discussing our stance on things. and how we were going to communicate with Qatar and the world, but very much we're working with Uefa I would say as the European body to communicate and liaise with."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.