An Argentinian female reporter says she was pickpocketed on live television
while reporting at the World Cup in Qatar, losing documents and money from
her handbag.
Dominique Metzger, a journalist for Todo Noticias, was reporting from Doha
ahead of the first match when she said her personal belongings were stolen.
Video of the reported theft was shared with the Daily Mail.
Female TV reporter is robbed live on air at Qatar World Cup
https://t.co/an5VWxwhuE
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) November 21, 2022
“I had my small bag on me with all the things that one needs, my wallet, the
keys to our hotel room, some napkins,” Metzger told a TN network anchor.
“And you were dancing, right?” the anchor asked.
“Yes, I was dancing with the crowd and I’m convinced that it was at that
moment when someone opened the bag zipper and took my wallet,” Metzer
responded.
The reporter soon reached out for assistance with her documents after the
incident.
“Thank you very much, they already contacted me and they are helping me with
all the paperwork!” Metzger later updated followers on Twitter regarding
assistance with her documents.
Muchas gracias ya se pusieron en contacto y me están ayudando con
todos los trámites! ??
https://t.co/ioPrmOGrvN
— Dominique Metzger (@dominiquemetz) November 19, 2022
The incident comes among multiple controversies as the World Cup began over
the weekend in Qatar. The event marks its first time being held in the Middle
East, celebrated as a success by some while others have expressed concerns.
Qatar has been called out for human rights violations and its stance on LGBTQ
people, where it remains illegal to be homosexual. As recently as this month,
the Qatar World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman called homosexuality “damage in
the mind,” the Associated Press noted.
Women’s rights are also an area of concern in Qatar. They are legally under
male guardianship that requires permission from a father or other family
member to exercise basic rights that range from marriage, international
travel, and working in a government job. Women were required to obtain a male
guardian’s permission to obtain a driver’s license until 2020, The Athletic
reported.
The Daily Wire previously reported that FIFA President Gianni Infantino
responded to concerns by criticizing Europe, saying that it should be
“apologizing for the next 3,000 years,” ahead of the World Cup’s opening
game.
Infantino shared the strong remarks during a press conference on Saturday
when he said that criticism of Qatar was hypocritical.
“I think for what we Europeans have been doing in the last 3,000 years around
the world we should be apologizing for the next 3,000 years before starting
to give moral lessons to people,” he said.
Another controversy arose as the U.S. men’s national soccer team (USMNT)
redesigned its crest displayed at its World Cup practice facility with
rainbow colors to show support for LGBTQ people. When the team takes the
field, however, they will be wearing the traditional crest with red, white,
and blue stripes on their uniforms.
“I think that when we are on the world stage it is important to bring
awareness to these issues and that’s what being the change is about,” USMNT
coach Gregg Berhalter stated. “It’s not just stateside that we want to bring
attention to those issues. It’s also abroad.”
“And we recognize that Qatar has made strides, there has been a ton of
progress,” he added. “But there’s still some work to do.”
The World Cup is being held from November 20 to December 18. A total of 32
teams play in eight groups of four leading to the round of 16, quarter
finals, the semi-finals, and the final on December 18.
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Let's go Brandon!