DOHA: Qatar’s preparations to stage the 2022 FIFA World Cup ‘are on track’, a top official said after inspecting facilities yesterday.
Colin Smith, FIFA’s Director of Competition, yesterday spent the day meeting with officials of the Qatar 2022 Local Organising Committee (LOC) and visiting match venues that are under construction or being renovated.
Yesterday’s trip was the second one carried out by FIFA officials since February this year.
“Ten months is a short time of period when you look at the preparations but what we have seen is that the progress is significant,” Smith said yesterday Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC). “World Cup editions do not get delivered themselves. They require huge amount of planning to ensure optimum conditions for all our stakeholders - like the fans, the teams, the broadcasters and the sponsors,” Smith added.
“These years of planning are absolutely critical for Qatar, especially since some of the infrastructure being built is part of the Qatar 2030 Vision.
“Significant progress has been made and we are working closely with LOC. In terms of stadium construction, there’s a staggered completion date. One will be complete in 2016 and one in 2017 and then one in 2018. Then the final ones in 2020,” Smith said. “This means in theory, all the stadiums will be completed ahead of schedule. That means we can look at operations some 18 months ahead of the tournament in order to do the final touches. The time-line is great. There is no suggestion that there is any delay,” he added.
Smith said his team visited some of the match venues yesterday.
“We went to Al Wakrah to see the pitch level. Then we went to Qatar Foundation and then to Al Rayyan and then back to QNCC. Today was about visiting the exact locations. We also visited the Aspire nursery where we got to see the grass that would be used for the pitches,” Smith said.
When asked if Qatar lacked in any way, Smith said his team was satisfied with what they got to see yesterday.
“We would be concerned if there were no challenges. Every single event we do - whether it is U-17 or futsal - there are challenges to meet. I would say there is no one particular area where we are specifically concerned,” Smith said.
The official said the ‘compact’ 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar would have a number of advantages for the game’s stakeholders.
“What I will say that compact nature of the World Cup in Qatar has huge advantages and opportunities for the players and the broadcasters to work around freely. Fans will have access to more games. I would say operational challenges are there but Qatar has seven years to work at those,” he said.
“For us, the key is to continue the dialogue and to further understand the progress that has been made to rail and metro network, the expressway plans and stadium locations.
“It all has to come together as package and we have been working with Nasser Al Khater and his team to get information of where they stand.
“That was the purpose why we came here today so that get a feel of the bigger picture, if you like. We went to different venues,” Smith said. Smith said weather conditions this time of the year would be ‘perfect’ for World Cup matches in 2022.
“We pray that the weather that we see now continues.
“The playing conditions at this time of the year are very good and I think that’s why you have so many football clubs coming here (for winter training camps),” Smith said.
“We did discuss accommodation and we will be back in January to discuss all those matters in detail again. In terms of next meeting, we will start in January.
“The board meetings are held once of twice but operational meetings are held a few times. We will be discussing risk mitigation, operational planning, the number of stadiums, training venues, accommodation, simulation models and infrastructure development.
“The end date for these developments is 2022 so we will continue our work over the next seven years,” Smith said.
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