The workers deaths are inexcusable. There have been three on site fatalities so far since construction commenced a few years ago. This issue was raised with the supreme committee. Their response was that this was due to the negligence of contractors early on in the construction stages along with mega ambition to construct 7/8 state of the art stadiums in such a limited time frame. Still no excuse. The issue of recruitment fees was also raised . There have been numerous stories of how workers from India , Nepal , Sri Lanka have left home paying hundreds if not a thousand to work in preparation for 2022. The supreme committee have said this issue has been resolved and any contractor found to be continuing with this form of extortion will be reprimanded. We were told how one of the stadiums was temporarily shut down as a result .

Before our trip we were expected to visit two of the labour camps in question however on arrival this fell through. We did however pass by two , one in Lusail and one to the south of Doha. Driving around the perimeter they weren't exactly the ritz but were not lacking with amenities either. Two of the workers we'd spoken with had described the accommodation as "sufficient" and the other "good". There are plans to regenerate the new suburban areas around lusail and co with new apartment buildings which will be a significant improvement on their current accommodation. In The shopping mall we encountered many workers in their overalls grabbing lunch some with their families. This was very much in contradiction to what many other media outlets have been suggesting.

I was very interested in hearing what they have planned as regards csr as before I was apprehensive given many big European teams and federations see it as a token gesture. However having met several of the people impacted by the programs my mind was swayed . Several of the initiatives we saw such as the workers Cup and the generation amazing programme were impressive. Speaking to a few of the participants they all said they were happy with life in Qatar and  that there has been noticeable improvements since they've begun working. The few I met have families back in India and Pakistan and said the negatives was being so far away from home but the money they could repatriate home made it somewhat worth it. The Josoor Institute who head up the CSR operations contribute huge sums and resources to the development of third world countries in Africa and Asia along with giving many the chance to a first class education which they would not receive otherwise. In the local community they do extensive work with the disadvantaged and have made significant strides in the women's game.

Once again I'm only discussing what I observed . Apologies for the insensitivity, I'm just going by the access and insight which we received over there. Obviously there is a lot of non football related stuff happening at the moment contributing such as the blockade , the Qatari departure from OPEC and the recent news regarding their commitment to investing in the German economy. So it's obviously impossible to paint a true picture as to what is happening behind the scenes. Things are nowhere near perfect over in Qatar but they are far better than what I expected. My post meant to serve as just my own experience in Qatar, those with better access and knowledge would probably hold a different judgement to my own. There's a lot they have yet to do but having talked with several of the workers and people involved they are taking action and heading in the right direction. I think it has all the makings of being a great tournament with out of this world stadiums and facilities but yes this shouldn't be at the expense of the workers involved. I was very cynical of what was unfolding prior to our trip now just less so.

In my opinion the best way to respond to the problems of Qatar is Broncho Stop.........