By Duncan Mackay in Doha
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
September 16 - Qatar’s bid to host the 2022 World Cup has suffered a serious setback after FIFA’s inspectors warned that the country was too small to host the tournament and it would present significant “logistical challenges”, at a stroke undermining one of the key planks of its campaign.
Qatar would be the smallest host country since Uruguay staged the inaugural tournament 80 years ago but has stressed the advantages of a compact World Cup, with none of the 12 stadiums more than an hour’s travelling time from one another.
But Harold Mayne-Nicholls, the head of FIFA’s six-man inspection team, who have spent three days in the tiny Gulf State, said hosting the event in Qatar claimed that, far from being an advantage, it was a dis-advantage.
The country has a population of just 1.6 million who live in its 11,000 square kilometres.
He said: ”From an organisational point of view, Qatar has the potential to host an international sporting event such as the FIFA World Cup.
“So far we have only had one such tournament with a similar [compact] concept and that was the first World Cup ever staged in Uruguay in 1930.
“Then there were only 13 teams playing all their matches in two stadiums in the same city.
“That easily worked out 80 years ago but the scope of the event, as we all know, has changed dramatically.
“Nowadays we have 32 teams and the last edition in South Africa had more than 80,000 accredited people including 15,000 media and hundreds of thousands of football fans travelling to the host country.
“Currently, there is not enough accommodation and transportation but you assured us you are prepared to change this and lots of development plans are underway.”
Mayne-Nicholls’ comments were something of a surprise as most observers expected the fierce heat to be Qatar’s Achilles heel.
They have spent three days showcasing their state-of-the-art cooling technology system which would be installed in all 12 stadiums due to be used for the World Cup if they are awarded it.
But in the end, Mayne-Nicholls – who along with the rest of his colleagues were flown around Qatar in the Emir’s private helicopter – made no reference to the climatic conditions.
Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the chairman of Qatar 2022 and who is a member of the country’s Royal family, tried to remain upbeat about their chances and promised the country would meet every challenge to host a successful finals.
He said: “We truly believe now is the time.
“We invite 12 years of preparation, we want to take that on.
“We want to prove to the world that the Middle East, just like Africa, can be successful at hosting the World’s greatest tournament.
“Choosing Qatar is not a risky decision it is a bold decision, it is one you will not, absolutely not, regret.”
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