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FIFA Technical Director Steven Martens says expect 2022 World Cup to be special and of high standards
IKOLI VICTOR
Doha
World football governing body FIFA's Technical Director Steven Martens described Qatar's investment in hosting the 2022 World Cup as ''fantastic"and expects it to be a special World Cup of high standards.
"As far as I am informed the investment of Qatar on the 2022 World Cup is fantastic with their state-of-the-art facilities. I presume and expect that it will be a special World Cup of high standards," he said.
Martens spoke exclusively to Qatar Tribune on the sidelines of the FIFA Technical Experts' Seminar in Doha on Tuesday.
The four-day event, which is being hosted by the Qatar Football Association opened with the participation of 100 experts including technical directors from all of the seven confederations.
A former CEO of the Belgian Football Association, Martens said the choice of staging the event in Qatar was because of the strategic location of the 2022 World Cup hosts.
"Qatar is a fantastic opportunity for us (FIFA) because it is quite central, you can fly from Europe, Africa, and Asia in quite a convenient time. It has great access, airport and facilities. We shall be visiting the Aspire Academy, we are collaborating with the Qatar Football Association (QFA) on the 2022 World Cup. There are many reasons why we have a privileged relationship with Qatar," he said.
Martens explained that the technical experts workshop is a new programme on FIFA's technical capacity-building based on one important cornerstone: offering support in an efficient manner, tailor-made to the needs of each member association.
"FIFA is supporting its member associations financially, in capacity-building, giving technical support and helping them to build leadership. Also helping them to build instructors for their coaches," Martens said.
"While we have a strong quality team in Zurich, we must make sure we spread out all over the world with experts from different cultures, languages. That is why we bring them together to be on the same page, to understand our messages and also to exchange the knowledge they have accumulated over the years," he added.
QFA Secretary-General Mansour al Ansari opened the first seminar, which divided the participants into three groups of experts, lecturers and consultants. Each of the groups discusses its own subjects, in addition to FIFA's managerial structure and projects for football development.
Ansari expressed Qatar's pride in hosting the course and thanked FIFA and everyone who helped in the organisation and planning for this event, noting that it will be of great value as it will feature exchange of ideas on development projects.
"This is the first time in football history that FIFA are hosting four major workshops at a particular location, outside of a host nation in a World Cup year, which is Russia for men and France for women," Ansari told Qatar Tribune.
"Previously in 2014 and 2016, we have hosted a referees workshop but for us to have four events in one month with over 250 participants expected is a big pride for us."
The QFA Secretary-General added that hosting the event reflects Qatar's commitment in the region and the world to positively contribute to the development of technical capacities, highlighting that Doha will also host workshops for the World Cup 2018 and the Women's World Cup 2019 in February.
Ansari noted that Qatar has become a major football hub and has been hosting many major events in the run-up to the World Cup 2022.
Next week will be busy with the launch of FIFA seminars and lectures for the match officials of World Cup Russia 2018 and Women's World Cup France 2019 as well as the course for referees' lecturers.
The seminars and courses will be under the supervision of FIFA's referees committee chairman Pierluigi Collina and FIFA's head of refereeing Massimo Busacca.
The second seminar will be for arena referees and video referees who will take charge of World Cup 2018 matches, and will see the participation of 37 referees from February 5 to February 9.
The third course will be for female referees who are nominated to officiate the Women's World Cup 2019. It will run from February 12 to 16. The fourth course will be for referees' lecturers with the participation of 100 lecturers from February 19 to 22.
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31/01/2018
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