Lusail on course as Qatar tries to bridge political gulf
THE FIRST FOOTBALL WORLD CUP IN ARABLAND WILL BE A WINTER AFFAIR. SCHEDULED FROM NOVEMBER 21-DECEMBER 18, 2022
DOHA: Given the Gulf’s current political climate, Qatar’s endeavour to use football as a catalyst for peace and development received a significant boost when the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy unveiled the design of the Lusail Stadium in a crisp ceremony on Saturday night.
Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-thani attended two significant events on Saturday. While the second one was strictly related to the
“Road to 2022” FIFA World Cup, the 18th Doha Forum, earlier in the day, was more diplomatic in nature.
Both occasions showed Qatar’s willingness to settle differences through dialogue and unite once again through sport and culture as it braves a more than six-month old geo-political blockade.
“Our position towards solving this crisis has remained unchanged; lifting the blockade and settling differences through dialogue based on mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries,” said Sheikh Tamim.
BEHEMOTH OF CONCRETE
It is hard to believe that Lusail, currently a behemoth of concrete, will finally look like a golden vessel with a graceful undulating trim. When completed by 2020, a highly sophisticated lighting system will present the welcoming glow of a fanar lantern, a Qatari signature.the international media, kept at safe distance from hundreds of curious labourers, were taken on a tour of Lusail stadium on Saturday morning.
Project head Tamil-al-abed provided elaborate details on the various challenging sections of the stadium that will stand at 74-and-a-half metres when completed. The pitch, now a mix of whitish earth and sand, will be tested in time for match fitness with a couple of international games. The first football World Cup in Arab-land will be a winter affair. Scheduled from November 21-December 18, 2022, Doha has currently budgeted for 64 matches with kickoff times at 1, 3 and 7 PM local time. Will heat be a deterrent?
Data from the last 10 years reveal Doha’s day-time temperature hovers between 24.2 to 29.5 degrees Celsius in Novemberdecember.it can go as low as 15 in the evening.