Second journalist 'dies suddenly' at Qatar World Cup

2022-12-12

Second journalist ‘dies suddenly’ at Qatar World Cup, 48 hours after US reporter who made headlines for LGBT T-shirt died from ‘heart attack’

Khalid al-Misslam was a Qatari photojournalist working for Al Kass TV
He died on Sunday but the circumstances around his death are still unclear
It comes after the death of Grant Wahl who collapsed during a match on Friday
Wahl had been wearing a rainbow shirt and was refused entry to stadiums
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A second journalist has died suddenly at the Qatar World Cup – 48 hours after a US reporter who made headlines for wearing an LGBT t-shirt died from a ‘heart attack’.

Khalid al-Misslam, a Qatari photojournalist working for Al Kass TV, died on Sunday, according to Gulf News. The circumstances surrounding his death are unclear at this stage.

Qatar news outlet Gulf Times tweeted: ‘Al-Misslam, a Qatari, died suddenly while covering the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

‘We believe in Allah’s mercy and forgiveness for him, and send our deepest condolences to his family.’

A second journalist, Khalid al-Misslam, has passed away during the Qatar World Cup

The circumstances around his death, which were reported by Qatari news outlet Gulf Times, are unclear at this stage

Al Kass TV only briefly mentioned his passing away in a live broadcast and appear to be waiting on further details.

It comes just 48 hours after the death of American journalist Grant Wahl, who had struggled to enter stadiums due to wearing a pro-LGBT top.

The prominent football journalist, 48, collapsed during extra time in the match between Argentina and the Netherlands in Doha on Friday night.

Paramedics performed CPR and used an automatic chest compressor to try and revive him for 20 minutes.

Wahl was later bundled into an Uber and rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead from what is reported to have been a heart attack.

Shortly after his passing, Wahl’s brother, Erik, who is gay, alleged his brother was murdered because of his constant criticisms of the Qatari regime.

It comes just 48 hours after the death of American journalist Grant Wahl, who had struggled to enter stadiums due to wearing a pro-LGBT top

In a video posted on Instagram, Eric Wahl said: ‘My name is Eric Wahl. I live in Seattle, Washington. I am Grant Wahl’s brother. I’m gay.

‘I’m the reason he wore the rainbow shirt to the World Cup. My brother was healthy.

‘He told me he received death threats. I do not believe my brother just died. I believe he was killed. And I just beg for any help.’

He added that his brother’s body will be repatriated to the United States on Monday and said that his family would not release a cause of death until an autopsy has been performed in the US.

Grant Wahl had just come back from taking some time off work after his body ‘broke down’ due to little sleep, high stress and lots of work.

He was covering his eighth world cup and had previously made headlines for being refused entry to a game for wearing a rainbow shirt.

The World Cup in Qatar has faced criticism for ‘sportswashing’ due to the host nation’s poor human rights record, in particular the treatment of the LGBTQ+ community.

In Qatar, male homosexuality is punishable by a prison sentence and same-sex marriages are not recognized by the government.

A Qatar organising committee spokesperson said Grant ‘received immediate emergency medical treatment on site, which continued as he was transferred by ambulance to Hamad General Hospital’.

‘We offer our deepest condolences to Grant’s family, friends and his many close colleagues in the media,’ they added.

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