Boost for Qatar World Cup

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has backed Qatar ’ s “right ” to host the football World Cup and slammed “biased ” Western media coverage of the 2022 tournament.

In a strongly-worded statement from the OIC ’ s general secretariat released on Wednesday, it also calls on institutions and media groups among member states to back Qatar. “The general secretariat of the OIC is monitoring with concern

– the western media tendentious campaigns targeting the state of Qatar, an OIC member, casting doubt on its right to host the World Cup ... in 2022,” read the statement.

It also condemned “biased Western media campaigns against the State of Qatar, which question the latter ’ s eligibility to organise the 2022 World Cup ”.

The OIC, a 57-state strong organisation, added that Qatar won the right to host the competition “through fair and transparent competition ”. The tournament would also demonstrate the role “played by sports in consolidating peace ”, read the statement.

It is the latest regional show of support for Qatar ’ s much-criti- cised hosting of football ’ s biggest tournament in seven years ’ time.

The support comes at a time when Qatar ’ s hosting of the World Cup, long criticised by many over corruption and human rights abuse allegations, is under further intense scrutiny because of the scandal engulfing the sport ’ s governing body, Fifa. Earlier this month, a Fifa official said Qatar could lose the World Cup if allegations of wide-scale bribery could be proved.