18th November 2022
HEADLINES
By James Saunders
I have always been a fan of grassroots sport and the benefits that come with being part of a team. Teamwork; collaboration; tolerance; character; empathy. All are things that sport can develop within us. Scaled up, sport can be a powerful vehicle for change. Sport is big business these days which can be both positive and negative. With such a high profile sport has a lot of responsibility resting on its shoulders. We have seen over the last few years the many positives that sport can bring to society and our values. We saw a sporting movement form out of the Black Lives Matter which had an impact across many disciplines, including Formula 1 and Football. We have also seen Formula 1 taking a moral stand against Russia in response to their invasion of Ukraine. We have seen the positive impact that the Lionesses have had on Women’s football in the UK after their stellar performance during the Women’s 22 Euros. Back at Honywood Girls football is thriving and they are achieving much success. Sport is great at highlighting the inequalities and injustices in society. I remember Andy Murray in an interview back in 2017 had to remind a reporter that women exist. At Honywood equality and inclusion is important to us. We have a deliberate focus on this aspect of our school this year and our aim is to eradicate all forms of discrimination so that everyone is free to be who they are, free from the worry of being discriminated against or treated differently. I have often used sporting examples in my assemblies to illustrate our values as a school. That brings me to the next spectacle on the global sporting calendar (after this weekend’s Formula 1 that is - and don’t get me started on the dynamics between Verstappoen, Red Bull and Perez and what that says about teamwork and character). The FIFA World Cup is an exciting tournament for football fans as well as occasional patriotic football watchers alike. When our national teams get to compete in high level sport it can bring a real sense of occasion
for the whole country. Watching sportspeople at the top of their game is inspiring, no doubt about it. The 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup is being held in Qatar. There have been many concerns about human rights issues such as the low pay and dangerous working conditions of the migrant workers who built all the new stadiums. I have read some shocking stories about the treatment of Nepalese workers. Building the stadiums for this World Cup has literally killed people. Families have said goodbye to their children who have left for work only to be returned in body bags. A large majority of people in Britain think the World Cup should not be held in Qatar because of its position on LGBTQ+ rights. 62% of British people believe Qatar’s stance on homosexual rights should have been enough to disqualify it from hosting the event. Qatar is one of 60+ countries around the world where being LGBTQ+ is illegal, it could land a person in prison for 7 years. Worse though is that Qatar is one of 11 countries that could use the Death Penalty for LGBTQ+ people they consider to have broken the law. They still sentence Trans people to conversion therapy. Last week a World Cup ambassador explained that homosexuality was haram (forbidden) in Islam as it was a sign people were mentally unwell. Even David Beckham has faced further criticism for his role as an ambassador for Qatar after claiming the World Cup would be a platform for progress, inclusivity and tolerance. Beckham is reported to be receiving £150m from the Qataris. For this reason some of us may find ourselves conflicted between supporting our national teams in an exciting event and sticking to our principles about equality and inclusion. If you know someone who isn’t supporting their national team this time, it may well be due to their worries or moral conflict about the values of the host country. I hope that you don’t think that I am lecturing here but I do feel it is our responsibility as a school committed to equality to call things out when we see it. We expect