Qatar and FIFA criticized harshly ahead of World Cup draw

By GRAHAM DUNBAR
AP Sports Writer

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — A Norwegian soccer official has delivered a scathing criticism of World Cup host Qatar and FIFA to an audience of executives on the eve of the tournament’s draw. Qatar’s record of protecting the rights of migrant workers and its criminalization of homosexuality was aired by the newly elected head of soccer in Norway. Lise Klaveness is one of the few women ever to lead a FIFA member federation. It was a rare show of dissent and tension in the typically tightly scripted annual meeting and targeted issues that have dogged Qatar and FIFA’s controversial choice of the Middle Eastern country for more than a decade.