Amir Cup Final: Full house to mark historic Al Thumama Stadium opening on Oct 22nd
THE opening of the sixth FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 venue Al Thumama Stadium on October 22nd with the staging of the prestigious His Highness Amir Cup final will be marked by the presence of a capacity audience – a first since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 49th edition of the Amir Cup will be played between Al Sadd and Al Rayyan at the attractive Al Thumama Stadium, one of the eight World Cup venues to be ready after Khalifa International, Al Janoub, Education City, Ahmad Bin Ali and Al Bayt.
The organisers of the Amir Cup final on Wednesday confirmed that the 40,000-seater Al Thumama Stadium will operate at 100% occupancy with strict adherence to all protocols to ensure the prevention and spread of the new coronavirus.
Rashid Al Khater, Director of Operations, Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the Amir Cup 2021 final, while addressing the LOC’s press conference at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) headquarters, said, “It would be a great experience for fans and we all are excited for this big match.”
He stressed that there has been a massive response to ticket sales, which began last month. “The Al Thumama Stadium will be at full capacity for the Amir Cup final, which I feel will be one of the best finals in history. It will be the first time that such a large number of fans will attend a sports event since the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s obviously a challenge for us to host huge number of fans but we are confident of succeeding in this challenge,” said Al Khater.
“It’s one of the stadiums of the World Cup 2022 and the Amir Cup final will be the first opportunity for enthusiasts to attend the match at this amazing venue, which is one of the best in the world,” he added.
Earlier during the press conference Jamal Al Ansari, Assistant Manager of Roads Operations and Maintenance Department, Ashghal; Maj. Abdullah Al Ghanim, Representative of the Safety and Security Committee, LOC of the Amir Cup 2021 final and Abdulla Ali Al Mawlawi, Communication and Public Relations Director, Qatar Rail apprised about the arrangements for the final.
“Best arrangements will be ensured to conduct the final smoothly. There will be parking lots and overhead pedestrian bridges and many other arrangements. Our teams will be ready during the final for the smooth conduct,” said Al Ansari.
He said roads around the Al Thumama Stadium will be closed twice, with alternate arrangements ensured. The first closure will be from 2am on October 15 to 2am on October 16 while the second closure will be in effect from 4pm on October 20 till 11:59hrs on October 22.
While briefing about safety arrangements, Maj. Abdullah said fans are prohibited to bring stuff like glass bottles, chargers and flammable material inside the stadium.
“I would like to request fans to reach the stadium early to avoid inconvenience. We also advise them to follow directives of officials on duty on the day of final,” he said.
Al Mawlawi, meanwhile, informed that bus shuttle service for fans using Doha Metro will be available, with operation starting at 3pm on October 22. He said metro services will be free of charge for fans carrying Fan ID.
Meanwhile, SC said, to be eligible to attend the Amir Cup 2021 final, fans are required to be: Fully vaccinated against COVID-19 – having received their second dose no later than 7 October 2021, with an Ehteraz app that displays a golden frame or recovered from COVID-19 within one year from 22 October 2021 – with proof provided.
Fans under age 12 are required to take a rapid COVID-19 test in a certified medical centre within 24 hours of the match kick-off time. Proof of a negative test result will need to be produced on the Matchday.