On 28 September 2022 Danish sportswear company Hummel unveiled the Danish national team's kit for the World Cup 2022.

This shirt carries with it a message.

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. pic.twitter.com/7bgMgK7WzS

— hummel (@hummel1923) September 28, 2022

Hummel has chosen to use the national team's kit by using black as one of the colours of choice for the team shirts as a means of protesting against the tournament and Qatar as they believe human rights have been compromised in the preparation for the tournament.

The company stated that although the national team will be supported all along they wish to shed light on the worker's rights of migrant workers in Qatar which they believe have been transgressed and do not want to be noticed.

In response to the accusations and this protest, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy released a statement on 29 September 2022 saying the following:

Since winning the right to host the FIFA World Cup™️, the SC has worked diligently alongside the Qatari government to ensure that the tournament delivers a lasting social legacy.

Our commitment to this legacy has contributed to significant reforms to the labour system enacting laws protecting the rights of workers and ensuring improved living conditions for them.

Through our collaboration with the UEFA Working Group and various other platforms led by FIFA and other independent groups, we have engaged in robust and transparent dialogue with the DBU. This dialogue resulted in a better understanding of the progress made, the challenges faced, and the legacy we will deliver beyond 2022.

For that reason, we dispute Hummel’s claim that this tournament has cost thousands of people their lives. Furthermore, we whole-heartedly reject the trivialising of 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 SC’s work is recognised by numerous entities within the international human rights community as a model that has accelerated progress and improved lives. Qatar’s reforms are acknowledged by the ILO and ITUC as a benchmark in the region. 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.

Source: Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy / ESPN / Hummel
Cover image credit: Shutterstock

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Fareeha Imtiaz

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