Google News Andy Murray weighs in on calls to boycott Qatar World Cup on moral grounds
by DZEVAD MESIC | VIEW 4628
Andy Murray thinks football players are not to blame for the World Cup being staged in Qatar. In recent weeks and months, some have been calling for the 2022 World Cup boycott after the country was accused of human rights violations.
Also, some feel that it is the athletes' responsibility to step up and boycott the World Cup in Qatar. "That's a difficult question. I've also competed in and played tournaments in Qatar and Doha that are on our tour. I don't think it's necessarily the athletes' responsibility where their events are.
I'm sure for a lot of the players who are going there, they have worked their whole lives to be involved in a World Cup. I think those questions need to be asked to FIFA and the people that are organizing these major events, whether it's the right thing to do or not.
I hope it goes well, but yeah, I know there's been a lot of questions whether it's the right place to host a major event like that," Murray told Sky News.
Murray rejected to play in Saudi Arabia
In 2019, the inaugural Diriyah Tennis Cup took place in Saudi Arabia.
Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, was offered a lucrative amount of money to come and play. But former world No 1 Murray rejected the offer on moral grounds, his agent Matt Gentry revealed earlier this year. "He's turned down stuff in Saudi; I don't think he will play there just because of what's gone on.
They have done a few exhibition matches where they have paid eye-watering sums of money to get players over there and he just wasn't interested. For turning up and playing a match, if you are a former No 1 player in the world, in the Middle East you could potentially earn $1 million to $2 million," Gentry said this year.
