The most popular sport in the world is responsible for over 6,500 deaths. Sports most often to the ignorance of the masses exploits the poor. . Our recent article during super bowl week informed our readers that sports empower fanatics to break laws. Fans were able to bypass covid laws in order to celebrate without masks in the middle of a pandemic. This week we learned that in Qatar over the course of 10 years, thousands of immigrant construction workers died trying to provide for their families back home. Just to build a stadium for the 2022 world cup

Soccer player Zlatan Ibrahimovic told LeBron to stick to playing basketball and not speak on politics. However, athletes who remain silent on their exploitation of people should speak up and the Qatar world stadium crisis is the perfect situation for soccer players to. Athletes don’t have to be robots nor do they have to be activists. But if thousands are dying so you can play in a stadium, then your conscious demands that you say something. Even threatening to boycott until safer conditions for the construction workers is enough.

The Guardian reported that the 6500 deaths are an underestimate. Most of the casualties are from workers coming from India, but Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have hundreds of deaths as well. The 2022 world cup will feature teams from all over the world. Will the countries of these high casualties number speak out against the harsh conditions or remain silent?

Not only are the workers dying but the cause of deaths are fabricated to save face for the construction companies. Most of the deaths were reported as natural causes among 80% of Indians alone. The deaths are usually without an autopsy as well. This is not only capitalism exploiting those from impoverished conditions but a human rights issue. Also, the construction workers who remain on the site are probably afraid to speak out to risk losing their jobs. This is classism, at its finest.

More often than not stadium construction uses much-needed tax dollars, strengthens gentrification, but today we can add stealing lives. The building of Qatar stadium has exploited the poor worldwide. Providing unsafe work conditions for poor people who need income to feed their families. This isn’t the early 20th century where child labor laws needed to be in place. Also, why don’t these workers have a Union?

Per capita, Qatar is one of the richest countries in the world. Therefore creating safe conditions for workers shouldn’t be an issue? But on June 11th, 2020 it was reported that workers went months without receiving payment as well.

The cycle of poverty and entertainment is closely related. As those in poverty usually watch to be entertained now their dying in order to keep other poor people engaged in it.

This year alone we’ve see covid restrictions lifted for sports fanatics to celebrate, unsafe working conditions for sports stadiums killing thousands and the growing sports gambling addiction problem.

So we’ve learned that sports kill in many ways. It kills your leisure time that could be used for more important things. Sports kills cities ability to properly fund underperforming schools. Also, sports kills millions of kids chances of actually making it professional. Giving them the illusion that sports is one of two ways out for minorities.

In conclusion, sports kill the moral integrity of its players who remain silent on the very injustices taking place in their own sport. Remember, there are no winners in professional sports.

Is the cost of sports stadiums worth the lives of workers and citizens losing resources? Let us know your thoughts below..