The 2022 Qatar World Cup will be a game-changer, tournament chief Hassan Al-Thawadi has declared, facing down the many skeptics voicing serious reservations about the gas-rich Gulf state hosting the showpiece.
Al-Thawadi, appearing at a sports business conference in New York, was grilled on Thursday on everything from corruption allegations dogging FIFA’s pick of Qatar to worries that fans would not be able to get enough alcohol at the first World Cup in the Middle East.
Other questions focused on criticism of working conditions for migrant construction workers and a likely move of the World Cup from summer to winter, a shift prompting howls from football leagues across the globe.
Al-Thawadi, who helped lead Qatar’s bid committee and oversees a massive building program in a country with little footballing infrastructure or history, sent a message of steely determination.
“We are going to be ready,” he said in an on-stage interview over 40 minutes, part of the Leaders Sport Business Summit.
“Hopefully, with every day that people see progress on the ground, they’ll come round to the idea that the 2022 event is a game-changer.”
Al-Thawadi reiterated Qatar’s winning bid – greeted with incredulity when announced in December 2010 – had not broken any rules, amid constant claims of corruption at the heart of FIFA, football’s world governing body.
“We have always maintained that we have full confidence in the integrity of our bid,” Al-Thawadi said.
He acknowledged there will be less alcohol than usual in 2022, but said fans will still be able to drink.
“Alcohol is available in Qatar, not as easily available as in other parts of the world, but it is available.
“It’s not an issue.”
The most recent controversy is over a FIFA task force’s decision to move the World Cup to the November-December timeframe to avoid Qatar’s brutal summer heat. A final decision is expected later this month.
Football officials throughout Europe complained winter would mess up the season for local leagues. The decision has also annoyed US broadcasters, angry at competition with the lucrative American football season.
Al-Thawadi said Qatar was planning to go forward with the summer games, but would comply with the final decision.
“Whatever the international football community decides, we’re in support of it,” he said.
BtoThePower3
Guest
There is no game change. It has proven that there was corruption because Platini confessed that he promised three things to the Emirates before the bidding process. One of it was to change to winter. Secondly, there are many lies. Thirdly, many workers have been suffering. There are many ways and levels of boycotting this 2022 Qatar World Cup. It is not like just the highest level of boycotting by not sending a national football team there. It is not necessarily like USA (and 64 other countries) did not send Olympic teams to participate in USSR's Olympic Games in 1980. There can be many levels and ways of boycotting. As for me, I will not pay too much attention to this 2022 Qatar World Cup. I will not watch the opening ceremony on TV. I will not watch as many matches as possible excepting socceroos' matches. I will not watch the grand finale. I will not respond to any news report by writing blog messages. I will pay as little attention to this world cup as much as possible. On international level, it is up to individual countries to do what they feel good. They may send team B. Or they can send very young squads there. For fans, they may not take a trip there. If many fans have voiced very early on that they will boycott this World Cup, the TV broadcasting right and advertisement level will be reduced. I am still planning to go to the 2018 Russia World Cup. I know that there are people boycotting this Russian World Cup because of this country's invasion in Ukraine. However, this is a political reason to me. The reason that I am advocating about boycotting this 2022 Qatar World Cup is not about political reason. It is about corruption and human right.
albatross
Roar Pro
http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-12-10/foreign-workers-face-exploitation-and-death-while-building-qatars-world-cup-sites http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/middle-east/conspiracy-of-silence-surrounds-world-cup-construction-in-qatar-1.2129848 http://worldsoccertalk.com/2015/03/05/fifas-reluctance-to-rectify-construction-working-conditions-ahead-of-qatar-2022-is-disgraceful/
Anthony Ferguson
Guest
Right, the international football community wants no alcohol limits, intellectual and journalistic freedom, no persecution of women or homosexuals, nor of foreign workers, and a World Cup in June/July, when it's always played. No problem then.
lao hu
Guest
fingers crossed