By Denzil Pinto
DOHA: Qatar will ‘embrace’ the challenge of hosting the FIFA 2022 World Cup and are determined to staging an ‘amazing’ tournament, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, Managing Director of Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, said yesterday.
The tiny Gulf nation has been in the media spotlight recently due to workers’ standards, but Sheikh Mohammed, chief of the organising committee for the 2022 World Cup, said that every host nation will be faced with challenges, citing United States of America (1994) and South Africa (2010) as examples.
Speaking during a press conference under the presence of FIFA President Sepp Blatter at Four Seasons Hotel, Sheikh Mohammed said: “Of course taking on the challenge of a World Cup is a test for any host nation. Every country has had its case. In 1994, they said that the United States has no football industry and in South Africa (2010) it was said there was a lot of crime in the country.”
He added: “Such stories come about before a host nation takes centre stage to host a World Cup. We are happy to have taken that spotlight nine years earlier than most but either way we embrace it fully and hopefully we can make about the necessary changes.”
The 25-year-old, who graduated from Harvard University earlier this year, reaffirmed Blatter that Qatar are ready to host the prestigious football tournament in any time of the year.
“We won the bid with plans to host a summer World Cup,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
“Having said that we are ready to deliver the World Cup whether it’s in the summer or winter and either way it’s going to be an amazing World Cup,” Sheikh Mohammed added while smiling to the world governing body chief.
The former Qatar equestrian team captain also announced that six stadiums are already in different planning and design phases and said that all football venues should be completed by 2020.
“Six stadiums are in different planning and design phases with the others coming down on the line,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
“We are confident all stadiums will be ready by 2020.
“We will be ready to host the 2021 Confederations Cup with all our facilities in place and then host a successful tournament in 2022,” said Sheikh Mohammed, in front of top football officials in Qatar including Qatar Football Association (QFA) President Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani.
Sheikh Mohammed also said Qatar is improving quickly and is eager to show the world what the Gulf nation has to offer.
“Coming to Qatar, every six months, you’ll realise that there are changes in landscape, changes in skyline and we are looking forward to showing the world what Qatar has to offer,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
“This is a commitment, a journey that still has nine years on the clock. We are committed to staging the World Cup in summer or winter. I don’t want to sound like broken record but we are working on improving the lives of everyone in the country, everyone associated with development programs linked to the World Cup.
“We have a huge workforce here and we want take advantage of staging the World Cup to improve the lives of all those citizens,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
“The World Cup will come and go but our work to improve the lives of the people will continue. We look forward to working with FIFA,” he added.
THE PENINSULA
