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Thousands of workers evicted in Qatar’s capital ahead of World Cup

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(Last Updated On: October 30, 2022)

Qatar has emptied apartment blocks housing thousands of foreign workers in the same areas in the center of the capital Doha where visiting soccer fans will stay during the World Cup, workers who were evicted from their homes told Reuters.

They said more than a dozen buildings had been evacuated and shut down by authorities, forcing the mainly Asian and African workers to seek what shelter they could – including bedding down on the pavement outside one of their former homes.

The move comes less than four weeks before the Nov. 20 start of the global soccer tournament which has drawn intense international scrutiny of Qatar’s treatment of foreign workers and its restrictive social laws.

At one building which residents said housed 1,200 people in Doha’s Al Mansoura district, authorities told people at about 8 pm on Wednesday they had just two hours to leave.

Municipal officials returned around 10.30 pm, forced everyone out and locked the doors to the building, they said. Some men had not been able to return in time to collect their belongings.

“We don’t have anywhere to go,” one man told Reuters the next day as he prepared to sleep out for a second night with around 10 other men.

He, and most other workers who spoke to Reuters, declined to give their names or personal details for fear of reprisals from the authorities or employers.

Nearby, five men were loading a mattress and a small fridge into the back of a pickup truck. They said they had found a room in Sumaysimah, about 40 km north of Doha.

A Qatari government official said the evictions are unrelated to the World Cup and were designed “in line with ongoing comprehensive and long-term plans to re-organise areas of Doha.”

“All have since been rehoused in safe and appropriate accommodation,” the official said, adding that requests to vacate “would have been conducted with proper notice.”

World soccer’s governing body FIFA did not respond to a request for comment and Qatar’s World Cup organizers directed inquiries to the government.

“DELIBERATE GHETTO-ISATION”

Around 85% of Qatar’s three million population are foreign workers. Many of those evicted work as drivers, day laborers or have contracts with companies but are responsible for their own accommodation – unlike those working for major construction firms who live in camps housing tens of thousands of people.

One worker said the evictions targeted single men, while foreign workers with families were unaffected.

A Reuters reporter saw more than a dozen buildings where residents said people had been evicted. Some buildings had their electricity switched off.

Most were in neighborhoods where the government has rented buildings for World Cup fan accommodation. The organizers’’ website lists buildings in Al Mansoura and other districts where flats are advertised for between $240 and $426 per night, Reuters reported.

The Qatari official said municipal authorities have been enforcing a 2010 Qatari law which prohibits “workers’ camps within family residential areas” – a designation encompassing most of central Doha – and gives them the power to move people out.

Some of the evicted workers said they hoped to find places to live amid purpose-built workers’ accommodation in and around the industrial zone on Doha’s southwestern outskirts or in outlying cities, a long commute from their jobs.

The evictions “keep Qatar’s glitzy and wealthy facade in place without publicly acknowledging the cheap labor that makes it possible,” said Vani Saraswathi, Director of Projects at Migrant-Rights.org, which campaigns for foreign workers in the Middle East.

“This is deliberate ghetto-isation at the best of times. But evictions with barely any notice are inhumane beyond comprehension.”

Some workers said they had experienced serial evictions.

One said he was forced to change buildings in Al Mansoura at the end of September, only to be moved on 11 days later with no prior notice, along with some 400 others. “In one minute, we had to move,” he said.

Mohammed, a driver from Bangladesh, said he had lived in the same neighborhood for 14 years until Wednesday, when the municipality told him he had 48 hours to leave the villa he shared with 38 other people.

He said laborers who built up the infrastructure for Qatar to host the World Cup were being pushed aside as the tournament approaches.

“Who made the stadiums? Who made the roads? Who made everything? Bengalis, Pakistanis. People like us. Now they are making us all go outside.”

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FIFA World Cup Qualifier: Afghanistan beat India 2-1

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(Last Updated On: March 26, 2024)

In a thrilling match that doubled as a qualifier for both the FIFA World Cup and the 2027 Asian Nations Cup, Afghanistan’s national football team secured a 2-1 victory over India.

The contest saw India taking an early lead, ending the first half ahead 1-0.

However, Afghanistan’s resolve shone in the second half, with Rahmat Akbari leveling the score at 1-1 in the 69th minute.

The decisive moment came when Sharif Mohammad converted a penalty in the 88th minute, propelling Afghanistan to a late lead.

The two teams had previously ended the first leg of their matchup in a goalless draw.

Looking ahead, Afghanistan is scheduled to face Qatar and Kuwait in upcoming matches on June 6 and 11, respectively.

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IPL: RCB register first win against Punjab Kings

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(Last Updated On: March 26, 2024)

Virat Kohli’s authoritative 77(49) helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru register their first win of the TATA IPL 2024 as they beat Punjab Kings by 4 wickets with four balls remaining at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday.

Kohli made PBKS pay with some delightful strokeplay to set the platform.

Dinesh Karthik (28 off 10) and Impact Player Mahipal Lomror (17 off 8) then provided the final flourish, stitching an unbeaten 48-run stand off 18 balls, to help RCB chase down 177 in the final over.

Earlier, a disciplined bowling display had helped the home side restrict PBKS to 176/6.

Earlier, Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to field.

Tuesday, March 26, will see Chennai Super Kings take on Gujarat Titans.

In this highly anticipated rematch of last season’s final, defending champions Chennai lock horns with runners-up Gujarat in what promises to be a scintillating encounter at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

IPL fans in Afghanistan can tune in to Ariana Television at 6.30pm Tuesday, or stream live at www.arianatelevision.com, to watch this exciting match.

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Chennai to host IPL 2024 final scheduled for May 26

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(Last Updated On: March 25, 2024)

The BCCI on Monday released the full schedule of the IPL 2024, after only having released details on the first phase (two weeks) before the start of the tournament.

The second part of the IPL schedule, comprising 52 matches including the playoffs, will begin on April 8, with CSK hosting Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai.

All playoff matches will be evening games.

Like the season opener, the final will take place in Chennai, home ground for reigning champions Chennai Super Kings.

The Qualifier 2 will also take place in Chennai. This will be played between the loser of Qualifier 1 and the winner of the Eliminator, on Friday, May 24.

The final will be on Sunday, May 26th.

The MA Chidambaram Stadium, or the Chepauk, the home venue of Chennai Super Kings, has hosted two previous IPL finals, in 2011 and 2012.

Once the teams have moved into the second phase, Delhi Capitals will play all their remaining five home matches in front of their enthusiastic home crowd at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi after opting to play their first two home matches in Visakhapatnam.

Punjab Kings, who started their season at the PCA New International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, will culminate their home campaign in Dharamsala.

PBKS will host two matches on May 5 and 9 against Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, respectively.

Rajasthan Royals have opted for a second venue in Guwahati and will play their final two home matches in Assam.

They will first host Punjab Kings on May 15 and later play Kolkata Knight Riders on May 19. This match will mark the conclusion of the league stage of the IPL.

From here, the spotlight will shift to Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium which will host the Qualifier 1 clash featuring the two top-ranked sides on Tuesday, May 21, followed by the Eliminator on Wednesday, May 22.

On February 22, the IPL released a partial schedule of an initial set of 21 matches from March 22 to April 7.

A complete schedule could not be put out since, at the time, the IPL was waiting for the Election Commission of India to announce the dates for the country’s general elections, which have since been made public.

They will take place in seven phases from April 19 to June 1.

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