Holding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is akin to staging it in apartheid South Africa, according to the new chief executive of Kick It Out. Tony Burnett, who started work at the anti-discrimination body at the start of the month, said...“Ten years ago we awarded the World Cup to a country where it’s illegal to be gay. Forget the human rights abuses – we awarded the World Cup to a country where it’s still illegal to be gay – what message does that send? “To me that’s exactly the same as awarding a World Cup to apartheid South Africa, and telling black players, ‘that’s fine, we’re just trying to build their knowledge and build their educational awareness’. “It’s not appropriate, and what does that say to the lesbian and gay community about how seriously we take these issues when we’re prepared to support a country which thinks it’s not OK to be gay in hosting the biggest football event on the planet?”...FIFA president Gianni Infantino has promised a “discrimination-free” World Cup in Qatar (Nick Potts/PA)...“In accordance with our statutes and policies, it is our responsibility to ensure a discrimination-free World Cup and in the past years we have been working, together with Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, on a list of measures that will ensure an inclusive experience for everyone.”