Qatar World Cup would help build bridges bid book claims

By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year

May 13 – Qatar will claim in their bid book to be handed to FIFA President Sepp Blatter in Zurich tomorrow that awarding them the 2022 World Cup would help build bridges between the East and West.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the chief executive of Qatar 2022, will lead the delegation that also is due to also include Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the President of the Qatar Football Association, and Hassan Al Thawadi, the chief executive of the bid.

Al Thawadi said: ”The Middle East, with its population set to grow to more than 400 million in the next decade, offers FIFA and the football family an unprecedented opportunity to develop the game and its commercial base in a region that is passionate about football.

“But Qatar’s FIFA World Cup legacy goes further.

“It would help build bridges between East and West.

“And, through a commitment to share our groundbreaking cooling technologies with the rest of the world and donate 170,000 stadium seats to developing countries at the end of the tournament, this is a bid for the region and for the world.”

In its bid book, Qatar seeks to tackle the two issues that are seen as its biggest as its biggest obstacles – its small size and hot weather – and tries to turn them into positives.

A World Cup in Qatar would be unprecedented for its compact nature, offering supporters the chance to watch more than one game per day, they claim.

By 2022, Qatar will be able to offer 110,000 hotel rooms and serviced apartments, 90,000 of which have been guaranteed for FIFA’s use for the World Cup in 2022, they promise.

Qatar’s bid also proposes to pioneer revolutionary cooling technologies, claiming that climate and location will no longer stand in the way of nations that have previously been unable to host major tournaments at certain times of the year.

Al Thawadi said: “Qatar 2022 would be a tailor-made, compact FIFA World Cup with stunning stadiums and seamless transportation.

“The bid book demonstrates our capacity to host a completely unique FIFA World Cup; one that will enable fans to see more than one match in a day as no stadium will be more than an hour apart by public transportation.

“Fans will also be able to stay in the same accommodation throughout the tournament, saving them time and money.

“A World Cup in Qatar will be a New World Cup, bringing people and different cultures together in the name of football.

“Our bid book sends a clear message: Qatar is ready.”

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