– One can wonder why a Norwegian puts himself in such a situation. If he is being paid by such a regime, I must say I think it is a little suspicious to stand up in such a context, says Odd Arne Daljord. He is a sports doctor at the Norwegian Institute of Sports Medicine (NIMI) and talks about the chief doctor at the Olympiatoppen, Roald Bahr. Bahr has been associated with Aspetar, a medical center associated with Aspire Academy in Doha, for ten years. He is paid by the Aspire Zone Foundation, a company founded by the previous Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, in 2008. SPORTS THEATER: Odd Arne Daljord Photo: Norwegian Institute of Sports Medicine – If I had received 10 million, I would have refused, says Daljord. Bahr: – I am proud to be able to contribute. Roald Bahr is the head of the medical department at Olympiatoppen. He is also the leader of a research group under the auspices of Aspetar. He is responsible for a research group of three people whose aim is to prevent injuries and illness among athletes. Bahr has worked at Aspetar since 2012 and estimates he is in Qatar 5-6 times a year. – Aspetar is among the world’s leading sports medicine centres, without a doubt. The hospital’s commitment to research and education has, among other things, led to the center being selected by the IOC as one of their 11 IOC Research Centers for the Prevention of Injury and Illness, writes Bahr in an email to news. Bahr does not want to respond directly to the criticism from Daljord. In the past, physiotherapist Stig Sodeland has also questioned Norway’s association with Aspetar. Like Daljord, Sodeland would not take a job in Qatar. – I think it is unfortunate that Norwegian and foreign researchers/doctors/physiotherapists become Aspetar’s public face. I see it as sports medicine washing. Initially, I was positive about Aspetar and that they facilitated research, but in light of corruption charges and violations of human rights, I think we should not be represented there, says Sodeland to news. GIANT FACILITIES: Aspire Academy has seven outdoor courts in addition to large indoor training facilities. Photo: MOHAMMED DABBOUS / Reuters Bahr therefore works for the hospital associated with Aspire, not at the training facility itself. Aspire and Aspetar have the same owner, the Aspire Zone Foundation, which is owned by Qatar. Bahr confirms to news that it is Aspetar who pays for the work he does, but does not want to say how much he is paid. – You are head of the health department of the OCT and also work for the Aspire Zone Foundation, which was founded by the emir of Qatar in 2008. There has been a lot of criticism of Qatar in recent years, also from Norwegian sports. Have you given any thought to working for both Norwegian sports and Qatar at the same time? – I am proud to have been able to contribute as a researcher to the development of new and important sports medicine knowledge, for the good of the sport and the athletes, in both Qatar and Norway. I have of course followed the discussion in Norway and other Western countries about boycotts, writes Bahr and adds: – Personally, I have little faith in boycotts as a means of action; I believe in dialogue. The positive thing about an event such as the football World Cup is that the spotlight on human rights internationally gives traction to the many progressive leaders working for a modern Qatar, several of them in leading roles at Aspetar. TOP SPORTS DIRECTOR: Tore Øvrebø. Photo: Vidar Ruud / NTB Tore Øvrebø is top sports director and head of the Olympiatoppen. He is aware of Bahr’s association with Aspetar, but has seen no problem with it. – Bahr is one of the world’s foremost sports doctors, and has various jobs and assignments as part of his expertise. The fact that one of his roles is to lead the Aspetar Sports Injury and Illness Prevention Programme, the Olympiatoppen considers to be professionally relevant and an expression of Bahr’s unique expertise in sports medicine. Olympiatoppen has no objections to Bahr’s roles, either nationally or internationally, writes Øvrebø in an e-mail to news. Was used to secure the Qatar WC Manchester United, PSG and Bayern Munich. Erling Braut Haaland, Lionel Messi, Pelé and David Beckham. Big names and clubs have visited the Aspire Academy in Doha in recent years. GIANT FACILITIES: Aspire Academy has seven outdoor courts in addition to large indoor training facilities. Photo: Anonymous / AP Right outside the one WC stadium is the academy. With a full indoor football pitch, countless outdoor pitches, first-class training facilities, accommodation and world-leading medical care, it is perhaps no wonder that the world’s best teams and clubs would train there, on the outskirts of Doha. But what does this have to do with the WC? Yes, Aspire played an important role in Qatar getting the championship at all. – The list of people who have helped Qatar, talked nicely about Qatar in exchange for something, it is very long. They have also been exploited, but many have allowed themselves to be exploited, just like football, says journalist and commentator for the Swedish Football Channel, Olof Lundh. In 2012, Michael Garcia was tasked with making a report on the World Cup allocations to Russia and Qatar. Both the two championships were awarded in 2010 and rumors of corruption swirled in the media and the population. UNITED: Sir Alex Ferguson talks to an employee at the Aspire Academy in connection with Manchester United’s training stay there in 2010. Photo: FADI AL-ASSAAD / Reuters In 2014, the report was handed over to Fifa, but the full report was first published to the public in 2017. The report has gone into depth on allegations of corruption and foul play in connection with the awards. It has a separate chapter on Aspire and how the training facility was used to secure Qatar World Cup votes. – There is evidence that Qatar used a strategy that at least considered directing funds from Aspire to countries that had the right to vote on the Fifa board, the report concludes. When Bahr is asked if he feels that Aspire is part of the sports laundering for Qatar, he replies as follows: – There is no doubt that sports events and the many sports facilities, including the facilities at Aspire, are used as active means to showcase the country. How Aspire has worked and is working to promote Qatar or the sports facilities, I do not know. I don’t work there, but at the hospital Aspetar, writes Bahr. Dagbladet has also written about the matter. Haaland on Aspire: – I’ll be back Aspire in Qatar also built up a network of the best experts in the world. In collaboration with the private hospital Aspetar, several of the world’s best footballers have trained or received medical treatment there. TRAINING: Erling Braut Haaland was in training at Aspire and Aspetar in December 2020. Photo: JASON CAIRNDUFF / Reuters In 2020, Erling Braut Haaland was also there. In an interview posted on Aspetar’s website, he says, among other things: – I wanted to find the best place for training. We found Qatar to be the best place. The facilities and staff I have encountered have been incredible. I’ll be back soon, I’ve trained well here, says Haaland. news approached Aspire earlier in the World Cup. We had an agreement to get a tour of the area and do an interview with a representative of Aspire. STOPPED: news had an agreement to get a tour of Aspire during the WC. A guard stopped us before we got that far. Photo: Alem Zebic / news When news arrived and set up, the representatives from Aspire came and met us. As so many times before in Qatar, we are told that we cannot film and that we must have written permission before we can film and do interviews. Verbal agreements with a representative from Aspire were not enough. We had to send an email. We did that the same day. Despite repeated reminders and promises of answers, we have not received answers to our questions.
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The chief doctor at the Olympic summit, Roald Bahr, is paid by Qatar – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
