Qatar fulfilled its promise to host exceptional WC: Leaders
QATAR’S impressive success in hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 continues to grab the attention of senior political and sports officials worldwide, who affirmed that Qatar fulfilled all promises to organise an exceptional and unprecedented World Cup, hailing the achievements as the best response to suspicious campaigns intended to disparage Qatar’s capabilities.
Former Russian Minister of Sports Vitaly Mutko said that Qatar fulfilled all promises it made while submitting for its World Cup bid in 2010, hailing Qatar’s adherence to its ethics while throwing its full weight behind hosing a high-professional championship.
Speaking to Russian press, Mutko said that Qatar’s performance since the kick-off of the tournament on November 20 clearly reflects its full preparedness, expressing his admiration for the stadiums that it constructed and the atmosphere of the first-ever World Cup to be held in an Arab country.
“The atmosphere in Qatar is very good, but those who do not want to see the World Cup held in other places, and envy Qatar for that...,” he said, lambasting the campaigns targeting Qatar’s World Cup bid.
“The development in Qatar shows that it is worthy of this prominent sporting merit, and fans are very happy with football, which has taken centre stage,” Mutko added.
President of the Colombian Football Federation Ramon Jesurun said sports need to be separated from politics, stressing the need to respect the privacy of the World Cup hosting country.
Football celebrations should distance themselves from all issues that have nothing to do with the World Cup or football itself, Jesurun told Colombia’s Blu Radio, adding that the World Cup is held every four years, and other matters should be excluded.
Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s accredited lecturer Alisher Nikimbayev hailed this World Cup as the best in the championship history, stressing that it is being held in one of the safest countries in the world.
Speaking to Russia’s sportexpress newspaper, Nikimbayev said that HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad AlThani is a great sports fan, and enthusiastic about attending many sporting events.
He added that Qatar’s good World Cup hosting enabled all fans, journalists and media professionals to watch the largest number of matches, which did not happen in other tournaments, and will not be repeated in any other country hosting the World Cup.
Nikimbayev dismissed as lies the claims that free tickets were given to fans, stressing that he, despite being a lecturer at the Qatar Football Association, did not get any discount for any match ticket he purchased.
In this context, a Washington Post report highlighted the innovative and unprecedented solutions presented by the State of Qatar to host the World Cup, including building the 974 Stadium with shipping containers, which is supposed to be dismantled after the event in Qatar and sent to another country.
“Building a temporary stadium is great; the Qataris deal with issues more than others,” the report cited visiting associate professor of political science and international relations at Georgetown University in Qatar, Danyel Reiche, as saying.