In this 2014 photo, sports journalist Grant Wahl works as a sideline reporter during halftime.
Andy Mead | YCJ | Sportswire Icons |Corbis | beautiful pictures
Grant Wahl, a longtime football sports writer, died Friday in Qatar while covering the World Cup.
NPR’s national supervisory editor Russell Lewis tweeted that Wahl was covering the Argentina-Netherlands quarter-final when he passed away. Wahl was 48.
Much news organization Wahl reports fall in the press and cared for by medical staff.
Cause of death was not immediately available.
US Soccer said in its statement that the team was “heartbroken” by Wahl’s death.
“Football fans and the highest quality journalism know that we can always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game,” the organization said.
In a December 5 post on his page Personal website, Wahl said he felt sick and the medical staff on site at the World Cup told him he might have bronchitis. He said he was given antibiotics.
“My body finally fell before me,” he wrote. “Three weeks of poor sleep, high stress, and a lot of work can do it for you. The colds of the past 10 days have become more severe on the night of the US vs Netherlands game, and I I can feel my upper chest taking a new level of pressure and discomfort.”
His wife, Dr. Céline Gounder, tweeted late on Friday that the news came as a “complete shock.”
“I am so grateful for the support of my husband’s @GrantWahl football family and of the many friends who reached out tonight,” she said.
The US State Department said it had urged the Qatari government to grant his family’s wishes, but did not specify what it was.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of Grant Wahl’s death and offer our condolences to his family, with whom we have been in close contact,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said. said in a tweet.
In his post, Wahl reflected on the extraordinary nature of the World Cup in Qatar, noting an incident on November 21, when he said he was stopped and held back by security. because he refused to take off his rainbow logo T-shirt. that shows solidarity with LGBTQ+ rights. Same-sex relationships are illegal in the country.
It happened when he went to Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan to cover the match between America and Wales, Wahl later Written.
Wahl said he was held for more than 30 minutes, refusing to take off his shirt until a security commander came to release him and shook his hand.
He recounted the incident in an interview on MSNBC’s Report by Andrea Mitchell.
Wahl told Mitchell: “It makes me wonder what it’s like for Qataris here outside the World Cup to be gay as this is something that I had to address at a globally reported event. .
Wahl also had write about the treatment of migrant workers in Qatar, where hundreds have reported dead in the years leading up to the World Cup.
Wahl is from Mission, Kansas, and attended Princeton University as an undergraduate.
According to a biography from the MIT Sloan Sports Analyst Conference, Wahl has covered at least 10 World Cups and five Olympics.
He is known for his work for Sports Illustrated and as a commentator on NPR. He wrote a well-received book about David Beckham’s foray into American football, titled “The Beckham Experiment”.
It was the first New York Times bestseller with a football theme.
Sports Illustrated’s top editors said late Friday that he started there in 1996 and left to pursue independent projects in 2020.
Ryan Hunt and Stephen Cannella, co-editors of SI, said: “We are shocked and saddened to learn of Grant’s passing. “We are proud to call him a colleague and friend for two decades. No writer in SI history has been passionate about the sport he loves and the stories he wants to tell.”
Multiple football organizations reacted late Friday to Wahl’s death. National Football Hall of Fame speak few people support the idea of honoring the greatest players like he did; Big football tournament speak Wahl’s passion for the game is immense; and Angel City Soccer Club in Los Angeles speak football “better because of him.”
“His commitment to sharing our beautiful game stories is unmatched, but more importantly, his integrity, thoughtfulness and kindness are central to the way he lives his life. ,” the National Women’s Soccer League said in a statement. statement.
Some of Wahl’s readers have credited him with helping to grow the sport’s fan base in the United States.
Film and TV producer Franklin Leonard says Wahl’s importance to the gaming industry is difficult to measure.
“If you’re not American AND a fan of the good-looking game, it can be extremely confusing what Grant Wahl means to such a community,” he said. tweeted“and to be honest, I’m a bit confused when it comes to expressing it.”
