Anand Mahindra hailed the unsung heroes of FIFA World Cup; here’s what he said

After the World Cup ended yesterday, Anand Mahindra hailed the unsung heroes of the FIFA World Cup and said that it would have been nice if they had been given a standing ovation.

Mahindra in his post said the migrant workers from South Asia & Asia who worked in extreme climatic conditions to build the infrastructure needed for the world cup deserve a standing ovation.

Also Read: FIFA World Cup Live

In his post, he wrote, “And it would have been nice had a standing ovation been given in the stadium for all those real unsung heroes of this #WorldCup — the countless immigrant workers from South Asia & Asia who worked in torturous climatic conditions to build the infrastructure that enabled the Games.

Also Read: After World Cup ends, what Qatar will do with the stadiums and hotels?

Lionel Messi scored two goals and then another in a shootout as Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties Sunday to claim a third World Cup title despite Kylian Mbappé scoring the first hat trick in a final in 56 years.

Soon after Anand Mahindra’s post, users said that they agreed with him and said that the unsung heroes are never awarded. 

Atul Kasbekar who is a famous photographer and producer wrote, “Would be nice if there was some chunk of compensation given to the labourers who perished by FIFA n Qatar. Won’t bring them back but would be some solace to the families for whom they went to earn a better living in the first place.”

Another user commented saying that “Unsung. Heros. Are. Never. Awarded. It. Is. The. Front. End. Which. Is. Remembered. But. Work is. Always. Done. By. Backend.”

Some other wrote, “We need to remember everyone who contributed… and not blame the host indirectly. Labor goes there to earn … they don’t care its a world cup or a toilet room. Safety should be for everyone, everytime and everywhere.”

Another user wrote, “Workers get paid, Heroes get Felicitated thats how the World works aint it! No history of Ancient Rome feliciating the stadium workers or for that matter the workers at olympic stadiums. Its a wrong ask.” Another user claimed that 6500+ unfortunately immigrant workers (incl Indians) lost their lives due to harsh conditions there and no compensation being given.

Meanwhile, over $200 billion was spent overall on Qatar’s football world cup preparation-related projects. Seven brand-new, distinctive arenas with compelling themes that drew inspiration from the local culture were what Qatar received in exchange for its investment. When Qatar submitted a proposal and was awarded the hosting rights in 2010, it had a 12-stadium plan.

As per FIFA’s guidelines for a World Cup host’s venue plan, there should be a primary stadium with a minimum capacity of 80,000 people to host the final, at least one more with a minimum capacity of 60,000 to host a semifinal, and many more with a minimum capacity of 40,000. FIFA, however, did allow Russia to have two stadiums with capacities below 35,000 in 2018.

The main source of contention during this world cup in Qatar, which imported tens of thousands of migrant workers mostly from South Asia, was that the country failed to compile data or look into the deaths of many of those migrants. It is still unclear how many workers lost their lives or suffered injuries while working on tournament-related projects.