“It’s degrading and very frustrating”: Ameen Sharak, Indian living in Doha and fan of England, protests against the international media which suspects Qatar of paying “false supporters” to parade under the colors of the qualified selections for the World Cup-2022.
On Wednesday evening, the CEO of the World, Nasser Al Khater, described these accusations as “baseless”, in a video from the Qatari news agency QNA. This is for him “a new attempt to defame and question the ability of Qatar to host” the tournament.
The Supreme Organizing Committee of the tournament for its part considered “disappointing but not surprising” these criticisms of the country, which intensified as kick-off approached on Sunday.
Among the approximately 200 Indians (for about twenty English only) who came to welcome the English selection in front of their hotel in Al Wakrah, south of Doha, on Tuesday evening, the discussions focused mainly on comments on social networks and press articles British, Spanish and French calling them “false supporters”.
According to Sajidh, 29, Indians in Qatar are “outraged” at the thought that they were paid to take part in a parade on the Doha waterfront, which brought together a few thousand people dressed mainly in jerseys. Argentina and Brazil, Friday.
“This is pure and simple misinformation and I would like to say loud and clear that none of us have been paid in any way, claimed Sajidh. We are fans fans of England. »
“People choose the team they want. »
“It hurt us a lot,” added Anas, who follows the Premier League “every weekend”. “People just don’t realize the importance of football in Kerala”, the state on the southern tip of India where most of the fans outside the Three Lions hotel were from.
During the last World Cup, a 25-meter effigy of striker Harry Kane was even erected in a town in the province!
Fans who took part in Friday’s parade say they heard about it on social media and WhatsApp messaging.
On Wednesday evening, several dozen Indians also came to support the France team when it arrived at its hotel, AFP journalists noted.
Well equipped (drums, trumpets, jerseys, flags), these fans also evacuate the controversy: they are members of the French Football Fan Clubs India group, followed by 13,000 people on Facebook and very active on this group since 2016.
“We started following the France team after 1998, with Zidane. But at the time, we were not very numerous, ”assures AFP Fasalu Rahaman, a 36-year-old technician.
Dozens of people have lined up outside the main match ticket outlet in the central West Bay area every morning since it opened. Among them are many migrants from South Asia, with Qatar’s population numbering 750,000 Indians and 400,000 Bangladeshis (out of 2.9 million inhabitants).
“Messi is the most famous. »
Sunday, at midday, a young Bangladeshi came out empty-handed. He did not want to give his name, but still explained that he had not bought anything, “because there was no ticket to see Lionel Messi”, while Argentina was to land Wednesday evening in Doha.
For Aron, an Indian living in Qatar, Messi is the star of the World Cup. “If he can win, he will definitely be the best!” He is very well known in Qatar, because he was the ambassador of (the telecommunications company) Ooredoo”, explained the 16-year-old teenager, met in the city center on Tuesday.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is famous here, and Neymar too, but Messi is the most famous”, abound two Nepalese living in Qatar, Dipendra Shah, 36, and Rakesh, 33 (who does not wish to give his surname).
It was the cost that kept them from buying tickets: “800 Qatari riyals (about 210 euros) is too expensive. But we’ll be back, because prices change from day to day,” they said.
In a sporting goods store in the nearby shopping center, a saleswoman confirmed on Sunday the locals’ interest in “especially Argentina and Brazil t-shirts” as well as some major European teams. The choice of tourists, she added, is rather on Qatar “to bring back a souvenir”.