Inverness man's plea to FIFA to help set up Nepal fund as tribute to workers who died in Qatar
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AN Inverness man is trying to get FIFA, the world football governing body, to set up a fund in tribute to the hundreds of Nepali workers who died during construction of the World Cup venues in Qatar.
Derek Newton has set up a petition on change.org calling for FIFA to create a fund for village football in Nepal.
He said more than 2100 Nepali workers have died in Qatar since 2010, the year FIFA awarded the country the World Cup hosting rights.
Mr Newton added: “Setting up a fund to support local village football in Nepal would be a fitting tribute to the thousands of Nepali workers who helped to create the stadia, hotels and infrastructure that made the Qatar 2022 World Cup possible.”
A former university lecturer in education studies, Mr Newton has spent many trips working with schools and community organisations in the mountainous Lamjung and Manang districts of Nepal.
He says that village football teams play an important role in sustaining community cohesion in rural parts of the country.
“I’ve really enjoyed the tournaments that bring together teams from different villages, girls and boys,” he said.
“ The pitches are just flattened earth on a steep hillside, and they easily turn into a mud bath after rain, and the ball sometimes disappears into the depths of the forest.
“But these competitions are highly organised and enthusiastically supported by local people.
“They help to maintain the commitment of young people to their local communities.
“It would be great if the local associations were properly funded by FIFA to provide better pitches, kit, equipment and training.”
Born around the corner from Manchester City’s Maine Road football ground, in 2016 Mr Newton took a set of City football shirts for the team in one village, Bahundanda.
