“Hops and Malt Lost”
Human Rights Watch folds Thomas Bach
03/30/2022, 07:11 am
A “pandering IOC president” Bach, a “outdated” FIFA boss Infantino: the director of Human Rights Watch in Germany railed against the powerful sports officials because of their proximity to unjust states. He calls for alternatives to FIFA and the IOC.
The human rights organization Human Rights Watch is concerned about the future awarding of major sporting events by the IOC and FIFA. “It’s gotten worse. I’ve never seen an IOC President curry favor like Thomas Bach,” said HRW Germany Director Wenzel Michalski about the International Olympic Committee and the Winter Games in China. “He offered to be a substitute government spokesman and helped spread the lies of the Chinese.”
He sees it similar to the President of the World Football Association FIFA, Gianni Infantino: the fact that he is moving to Qatar, what kind of signal is that?” Michalski said with a view to the World Cup in Qatar (November 21 to December 18 ). FIFA announced last year that Switzerland’s Infantino would take up residence in Qatar ahead of the finals. The World Cup host country has been criticized for years because of the human rights situation and the conditions for foreign workers.
Alternatives to FIFA and IOC
Infantino was “out of date, we need to rethink the allocation of major events,” demanded Michalski. “I don’t see that at all with the big association heads of FIFA and IOC. If the Olympics or major tournaments take place again in countries where human rights guidelines play no role, then hops and malt are lost, then alternatives to FIFA and IOC have to be found. Then they have these organizations have shown that they have lost their raison d’être.”
The upcoming major events will initially take place in western countries: the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, 2028 in Los Angeles and 2032 in Brisbane, the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina, the 2024 European Football Championship in Germany and the 2026 World Cup in Canada and Mexico and the US. The following games and finals are not yet assigned.