By Andrew Warshaw
October 3 – Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organisers have re-iterated their pledge that they are prepared to host the tournament any time FIFA requires and remain committed to their revolutionary air-cooling technology.
FIFA began a two-day executive committee meeting in Zurich today to discuss moving 2022 to winter almost three years after the ballot took place to hand the event to the Gulf state.
No firm decision on an actual replacement date will be agreed on Friday but the Qataris, who have had to listen to constant criticism over whether weather conditions will be appropriate, insist they are geared up to deal with any timing change.
“If the international football community reaches a consensus to move the event to an alternate date, we are able to accommodate that change. This would not affect our planning and preparation,” the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee said.
Their statement made it clear that hosting any time of year would be workable – including keeping it in summer – saying fan zones and public areas would also be cooled. “We bid for the FIFA World Cup in summer because we saw the opportunity to present solutions for players and fans in our country, and others with similar climates, to enjoy the outdoors in cool, safe and comfortable conditions in the summer months,” it said.
“We committed significant time and resources toward proving that we could host the tournament in summer in cool, comfortable and safe conditions.
“Our commitment to cooling technologies will continue, for without it certain parts of the world will be denied the right to host such events. Qatar already has one cooled stadium at Al Sadd Sports Club, retrofitted in 2008. FIFA’s inspection team visited this stadium and experienced the cooling first-hand.
“In 2010, we constructed a prototype carbon-neutral stadium which utilised renewable energy-powered cooling technologies to cool the stadium, which FIFA’s inspection team also visited.
“We are currently in a period of research and development to implement these environmentally-friendly cooling technologies on a larger scale in our stadiums, training pitches, fan zones and public areas for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.”
Insideworldfootball has learned (http://www.insideworldfootball.com/fifa/13367-exclusive-qatar-may-provide-the-face-saving-no-break-in-platini-s-ranks) that subtle pressure is being imposed on Qatar to be the ones to request a switch from summer where temperatures can reach 50 degrees.
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