The Fifa World Cup organizers defended Indian supporters in Qatar who were called “fake”. For donning the jerseys of the game’s dominant countries like Brazil, England, or Argentina On Wednesday.
Thousands of fans, mostly from South Asian countries like India, participated in a march in Doha. This raised questions about whether they had been paid to don Argentina, Brazil, or England shirts as a publicity stunt for the competition in Fifa.
The accusations have infuriated Indian fans, who assert they are ardent sports fans.
The organizing committee for the event in Qatar has since weighed in and backed the fans’ contribution with a forceful statement.
In Qatar, which has a population of 2.9 million people, there are more than 750,000 Indians and 400,000 Bangladeshis. They are responsible for a significant portion of the tickets purchased for the World Cup, which begins on Sunday.
In the 200-person mob that greeted the England team at their hotel on Tuesday, there were almost ten times as many Indian England supporters as local British expatriates.
The majority-Kerala state-based Indian contingent banged drums and blew horns while displaying England shirts and flags with pride.
They disregarded news articles and social media posts that highlighted supposed “fake fan” organizations in Doha.
The authenticity of these “real” fans has been called into question. By numerous journalists and social media commentators, according to the statement.
We categorically deny these claims, which are both disappointing and expected.
“Football fans in Qatar and around the world come in all shapes and sizes. And many of them have strong emotional ties to several different countries.”