Qatar 2022 officials wade into controversy, threaten to break reporter's camera on live TV

After 20 long years, the FIFA World Cup returns to Asian continent with Qatar hosting the event for the very first time. The build-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup has been surrounded by controversies and it does not seem to die down anytime soon. With just a few days left before the tournament kicks off, journalists from all around the world have landed for its coverage and before the tournament gets underway, the hosts already find themselves under several major controversies.

Danish reporter threatened by Qatar officials, assault caught on camera 

According to a Guardian report, journalists from the TV2 channel were interrupted while they were reporting about the tournament. Reporter Rasmus Tantholdt was giving live coverage from the streets of Qatar when he was interrupted by security officials. In the video shared by the reporter himself, the three men drove up behind him on an electric cart and tried to block the camera lens.

Tantholdt was heard saying in English, “You invited the whole world to come here, why can’t we film? It’s a public place. You can break the camera, you want to break it? You are threatening us by smashing the camera?” As per inputs, organisers have said that they later spoke to Tantholdt and also 'issued an advisory to all entities to respect the filming permits in place for the tournament'.

Sepp Blatter admits choosing Qatar as FIFA World Cup host was a 'mistake'

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter said that picking Qatar to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup was no less than a 'mistake'. The 86-year-old Blatter, while speaking to Swiss newspaper group Tamedia, said, “It’s a country that’s too small. Football and the World Cup are too big for that.It was a bad choice. And I was responsible for that as president at the time."

During the interview, Blatter claimed former France president Nicolas Sarkozy put pressure on Platini, and again gave his version of a telephone call that Platini made to him after the Paris meeting that the World Cup voting plan had changed. “Thanks to the four votes of Platini and his (UEFA) team, the World Cup went to Qatar rather than the United States. It’s the truth,” Blatter said of the 14-8 voting result. About 32 teams will play 64 games in eight stadiums in and around the city of Doha which has been transformed since 2010 by massive construction projects to prepare for the World Cup.