Sport
On November 20th the football World Cup begins in Qatar. The state has been criticized for human rights violations and poor working conditions for guest workers. According to a survey, every fourth person in Austria wants to boycott the World Cup.
In a recent survey of 1,000 Austrians by the Baden-based market research institute Marketagent, 24 percent of those surveyed stated that they would not be watching the World Cup this time on TV or live on site. 40 percent want to watch the games despite the criticism of the venue. However, 82 percent of respondents do not like the fact that Qatar was chosen as the venue.
“In summary, we sense little joy about the venue. Above all, companies and sponsors should be obliged to take a stand against human rights violations,” says the managing director of Marketagent, Thomas Schwabl, in a broadcast. “The teams themselves, on the other hand, are least expected to engage in boycott activities .”
No public viewing in Lower Austria
The fact that there will be no public viewing in Lower Austria shows that the anticipation for the World Cup is dampened. At past major sporting events, the company HSG Events in Baden had repeatedly organized public viewings in public places, this time live broadcasts are not being broadcast.
“The world championship is simply under a bad star this year. Of course, we also have moral concerns and find the entire situation extremely problematic,” Managing Director Nicolas Hold told noe.ORF.at. The cold season also plays a role. “Demand has generally declined in recent years and indoor public Viewings generally don’t work that well,” Hold said.
In other cities such as Wiener Neustadt, Amstetten or Gmünd there will also be no public viewing during the World Cup in Qatar, according to a broadcast by noe.ORF.at. Zwettl also does not broadcast live. “This is mainly due to the cold season. The dates of the games also overlap with the pre-Christmas period and the dense program. Football doesn’t fit in with the philosophy of the Waldviertel enjoyment advent,” says the municipality of Zwettl.
Incidentally, the survey conducted by the Baden market and opinion researchers also asked for a tip as to who would become football world champion in Qatar. 21 percent of the respondents guessed France, 17 percent Brazil and also 17 percent Germany. Austria did not qualify for the finals of the World Cup.
