Tim Cahill outed for ducking hot Qatar issue

1 year ago 75

Australian shot fable Tim Cahill was dragged distant from an interrogation aft being asked astir the Socceroos protesting Qatar's quality rights abuses.

Cahill - Australia's top men's extremity scorer - joined the squad successful an authoritative capableness arsenic caput of delegation, and was astir the Aussie squad passim its tremendous tally to the circular of 16.

But helium besides works successful Qatar arsenic the main sports serviceman astatine Aspire Academy, and has been paid to assistance beforehand the FIFA World Cup.

The determination to let Qatar to big the biggest sporting lawsuit successful the satellite has been arguable since it was announced, for a fig of reasons.

One of the large issues is the quality rights abuses successful the nation, which see the outlawing of homosexuality and the information Muslims tin beryllium sentenced to the decease punishment if they are recovered to beryllium practicing it.

Before travelling to Qatar, the Socceroos released a video featuring a fig of their stars denouncing the quality rights abuses successful the gulf state.

While being interviewed by an SBS News journalist, Cahill was asked astir that video and whether helium supported the stance.

But earlier helium had a accidental to answer, a pistillate chopped the interrogation abbreviated and dragged the Socceroos large away. Cahill appeared unwilling to reply the question earlier exiting.

The SBS writer conducting the interrogation - Ben Lewis - connected Monday posted the video to Twitter on with an mentation of what had occurred.

"Before the World Cup began, I managed to unafraid a little interrogation with (Cahill)," Lewis said.

"He happily answered my archetypal 2 questions. This is what happened erstwhile I asked Australia's caput of delegation if helium supported the Socceroos' quality rights video.

"The pistillate dependable you perceive was a PR rep moving for the lawsuit sponsor interjecting. We were told by Football Australia that Cahill would beryllium blessed to talk aboriginal successful the week and helium 'wasn't trying to debar answering questions'. We mentioned that information successful our communicative that day.

"He was scheduled to bash a property league aboriginal that week. But it was cancelled astatine abbreviated announcement owed to scheduling issues. We asked repeatedly to spot if a caller clip could beryllium found, to nary avail.

"Anyway, the interview/presser sadly ne'er happened. After the Socceroos made (the circular of 16), Cahill released a self-shot video connection talking astir the result. We didn't usage it, fixed the galore requests we had made to talk with him were rebuffed.

"We were told that erstwhile games started, helium wanted the absorption to beryllium connected the existent players - wholly fair.

"Now Australia's superb tally has ended, we'd inactive emotion to perceive his views connected moving for Qatar's organising committee and the Socceroos' stance connected quality rights issues."

It's not the archetypal clip questions person been raised astir Qatar's handling of journalists asking tricky questions astir the country's quality rights record.

Before the World Cup began, video emerged of a tv writer being unopen down mid-shoot by a fig of officials.

Fans person besides been barred from showing immoderate rainbows oregon pridefulness symbols wrong stadiums during games, though that stance has been policed inconsistently.

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