Khalid al-Misslam: Second journalist 'dies suddenly' at Qatar World Cup days after Grant Wahl’s death
DOHA, QATAR: A second journalist has ‘suddenly’ died in Qatar while covering the FIFA World Cup, just 48 hours after the tragic death of US journalist Grant Wahl, who suffered an apparent heart-attack during the match between Argentina and the Netherlands on December 9.
Qatari photojournalist, Khalid al-Misslam, who was working for Al Kass TV, reportedly died on Sunday, December 11. Khalid’s death was confirmed by the Qatari news outlet The Gulf Times. "Al-Misslam, a Qatari, died suddenly while covering the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022," the media outlet wrote in a tweet. "We believe in Allah's mercy and forgiveness for him, and send our deepest condolences to his family."
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Foul play has not been suggested at this stage as circumstances surrounding Al-Misslam's death are still under investigation. The saddening news was reported just days after the death of US soccer journalist, Grant Wahl, who complained about being stopped from entering stadiums due to wearing a pro-LGBT t-shirt.
Al Kass TV photojournalist Khalid al-Misslam passed away recently.
— Gulf-Times (@GulfTimes_QATAR) December 10, 2022
Al- Misslam, a Qatari, died suddenly while covering the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. We believe in Allah's mercy and forgiveness for him, and send our deepest condolences to his family. pic.twitter.com/M1ZyoBJWkW
The prominent journalist, who was covering his eighth World Cup, collapsed during extra time in the semi-finals match between Argentina and the Netherlands at Lusail’s iconic stadium on Friday night. He was immediately rushed to the nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. The other journalist seated next to Wahl recalled the horrific incident and revealed how medical experts performed CPR and used an automatic chest compressor to try and revive him for 20 minutes.
Josh Glancy, a special correspondent for The Sunday Times, said he and others stood by shocked as they watched medics performing CPR on Wahl. “An even worse sign was that they kept going and going,” he wrote in his article for The Times. “Eventually a stretcher came to take Wahl away. His face was covered. We all knew,” he wrote, adding that “just minutes earlier, he’d been tweeting excitedly about the game.”
While the cause of Wahl’s death has remained unknown, his brother Eric Wahl stated he believes Wahl was murdered in Qatar because of his constant protest against the Qatar government. “My brother was healthy. He told me he received death threats. I do not believe my brother just died. I believe he was killed. And I just beg for any help," he said in a now-deleted Instagram video, according to the New York Post.
Eric also confirmed that Wahl's body will be repatriated to the United States on Monday and said that his family would not release a cause of death until an autopsy has been performed in the US.
Dr Céline Gounder, Wahl's wife of 21 years, also shared her grief on Twitter and talked about her shock after learning about Wahl’s death. "I am so thankful for the support of my husband @GrantWahl's soccer family & of so many friends who've reached out tonight," Gounder wrote on Twitter. "I'm in complete shock."