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Hummel has revealed that it ‘toned down’ its branding on Denmark’s kit for Qatar 2022 to reduce its visibility at the World Cup in protest against host nation’s human rights record.
The Danish sportswear brand released a statement regarding its playing kit designs for the upcoming tournament, which read: ‘With the Danish national team’s new jerseys, we wanted to send a dual message.
‘They are not only inspired by Euro 92, paying tribute to Denmark’s greatest football success, but also a protest against Qatar and its human rights record.
‘That’s why we’ve toned down all the details for Denmark’s new World Cup jerseys, including our logo and iconic chevrons.
‘We don’t wish to be visible during a tournament that has cost thousands of people their lives. We support the Danish national team all the way, but that isn’t the same as supporting Qatar as a host nation.
‘We believe that sport should bring people together. And when it doesn’t, we want to make a statement.’
The Danish Football Union’s (DBU) stance on Qatar as the host of this year’s World Cup has been well documented. Last November, the national soccer body revealed that Denmark’s training kits would feature pro human rights messaging, replacing the team’s sponsors, and said that it would not take part in any commercial activities organised by Qatar.
Last year, the DBU’s chief executive Jakob Jensen told SportsPro: “We find it problematic that it will be held in Qatar, because there are many problems with, for instance, human rights, sustainability, environmental issues, the tournament being played in December because of the temperature and so on.”
He hinted at the time that the DBU would also be taking further action. He added: “We will now follow the development closely in Qatar and see if it will be necessary to present even more initiatives.”
Following Hummel’s statement, the Qatar 2022 organising committee has denied that the World Cup had led to the deaths of thousands of migrant workers.
An official statement from the committee said: ‘We wholeheartedly reject the trivialising our genuine commitment to protect the health and safety of the 30,000 workers who built Fifa World Cup stadiums and other tournament projects. That same commitment now extends to 150,000 workers across various tournament services and 40,000 workers in the hospitality sector.
‘The onus should always be on countries to do more to protect the rights of peoples all over the world, including in Denmark.
‘The supreme committee’s work is recognised by numerous entities within the international human rights community as a model that has accelerated progress and improved lives.
‘Like every country, progress on these issues is a journey without a finish line, and Qatar is committed to that journey.
‘We urge the DBU to accurately convey the outcome of their extensive communication and work with the SC, and to ensure that this is accurately communicated to their partners at Hummel.’
Earlier this month, Amnesty International was among a number of human rights organisations calling for Fifa to contribute US$440 million towards a compensation scheme for migrant workers – the same amount as the World Cup is expected to distribute in prize money.
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