The death of 48-year-old Grant Wahl was reflected in the press. new york post. The journalist fell ill on the podium during the Netherlands-Argentina match.
As commentator Dmitry Shnyakin said on Match TV, Wal lost consciousness during the match. Medical teams arrived at the scene in a short time and took the person to the nearest hospital. However, it is not yet clear whether he died in the hospital or in the ambulance. According to preliminary information, the cause of death was cardiac arrest.
After the tragedy, the deceased’s older brother Eric made a statement. He talked about his homosexuality and expressed confidence that Grant’s death was not accidental as he had previously been denied entry to the stadium because of a rainbow flag shirt – according to Eric, his brother wore this shirt in his honor.
“My name is Eric Wahl. I live in Seattle, Washington. I’m Grant Wahl’s brother. I’m gay. I’m the reason he wore the rainbow jersey at the World Cup.
My brother was healthy. He told me he had received death threats. I don’t believe my brother just died, he must have been killed.
And I’m begging for any help,” said Eric Wahl.
Grant’s clash with local officials occurred before the match between the USA and Wales. The journalist arrived at the stadium in a black T-shirt with a picture of a ball surrounded by a rainbow. Therefore, he was not allowed to enter the arena as he was thought to support LGBT relations. Specifically, Wahl’s shirt features the classic seven-color rainbow, while the LGBT flag lacks the blue stripe. However, the American stressed that he wore this shirt to support the LGBT community.
According to Eric, this is not the only reason the local government was allegedly motivated to order the murder of a journalist.
Grant has previously been shy of criticizing World Cup organizers and the Qatari government for not taking the deaths of migrant workers seriously during World Cup construction.
However, Eric Wahl’s statement that his brother has no health problems cannot be called fair. Grant talked about his recent bronchitis on his podcast just a day before his death.
Grant Wahl married Celine Gounder, an infectious disease doctor who serves on US President Joe Biden’s coronavirus advisory board. He reportedly discussed the incident with White House Chief of Staff Ron Klein. Like Eric Wahl, he believes Grant’s death was not an accident.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US government is in constant contact with senior Qatari officials to investigate.
Meanwhile, the United States Football Association offered its condolences. The organization declined to speculate on the possible causes of the journalist’s death.
“The entire American football family was devastated by the news of the loss of Grant Wahl. Fans of football and journalism at the highest level know that we can always count on Grant to provide exclusive and engaging information about our game and its protagonists – the teams, players, coaches and countless personalities that set football apart from other sports.
In the USA, Grant’s passion for football and his desire to raise his profile in the sports community has played a large part in increasing the interest and respect for our great game.
More importantly, Grant believed in the power of football to advance human rights and that it will continue to inspire everyone. Football was Grant’s life’s work. And we are devastated that he and his wonderful pen are no longer with us.
The U.S. Soccer Federation, Grant’s wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, to all her family members, friends and media colleagues. We want to thank Grant for his unwavering commitment and impact on US football. His writings and the stories he told will live on forever.
The International Football Federation (FIFA) also commented on the tragedy. Organization President Gianni Infantino reminded that Wal recently received honorary awards from FIFA and the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) for his work. The journalist first visited the World Championships in the USA in 1994 and has not missed a single tournament since. The awards were presented to him by two-time world champion Ronaldo.
“My sadness is incredible and indescribable to learn that renowned sportscaster Grant Wahl died while following the World Cup quarterfinal match.
Just a few days ago, she was honored by FIFA and AIPS for her work in eight world championships, she has also visited several women’s world cups and many other international sporting events throughout her career.
His love for football was incredible, and his news coverage will be missed by anyone involved with the game. On behalf of FIFA and the entire football community, I extend my deepest condolences to his wife Celine, his family and friends at this difficult time. press office FIFA.
It’s not just the football world that mourns Grant Wahl. The journalist also covered other sports. 24 years working sports illustrated, wrote a lot of material for this publication dedicated to the stars of various sports. Los Angeles Lakers basketball player LeBron James, the hero of one of his important articles, reacted with sadness to the news of Wall’s death.
“I won’t talk about the causes of death until I get the details of what happened. But I really like Grant and those Sports Illustrated shots: He’s still a teenager and he’s writing about me – it was great. And he was always ready to be there. Before this material came out, he spent a lot of time working with me in my hometown of Akron.
I always watched him. Even when I was a pro and he covered another sport for years, every time I heard his name, I remembered the work we did with him.
This is a tragic loss, my condolences to his family. LeBron said, “Rest in heaven.”