+ A
A -
IKOLI VCITOR
Doha
The Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) Hassan al Thawadi, has stated that the on-going FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019 will be a celebration of multiculturalism in Qatar.
Thawadi, who is also CEO World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC, was speaking at the Doha Forum on Sunday.
Responding to a question from CNN’s Becky Anderson on reports highlighting workers’ rights and the deaths of migrant workers in the country after Liverpool FC supporters’ group Spirit of Shankly noted their concern about Liverpool playing in the country, Hassan al Thawadi said, “We engaged with Liverpool and Spirit of Shankly, and opened ourselves up to questioning in order to dispel any misconceptions and answer their questions. We’ve been open and transparent on the genuine progress that has been made and that reflects our values as a nation.
“I think both the club and supporters’ associations recognised we are genuine. We look forward to hosting them in Qatar.
“The number of Liverpool fans coming that I heard is about 5000 and when the Liverpool fans arrive, the Monterrey fans are already here, and the Flamengo fans coming, I think it will be a celebration of multiculturalism in a nation that truly embraces it,” added Thawadi. Asked if Qatar Qatar has been criticised unduly since winning the rights to host the World Cup, Thawadi said: “The level of criticism against Qatar since 2010 was biased, in other areas misinformed, in some areas calculated and others constructive and genuine.
“We are in a the very strange situation for ten years facing criticisms that no nation has ever experienced as a host nation for such a period of time. So anytime, there is a new story we are targeted, host nations are usually faced with criticisms like Russia, Brazil and South Africa but there was a targeted campaign to spread misinformation and falsehood against Qatar that didn’t happen. There were other campaigns that provided constructively and merited criticism that we embraced. Overall, we believe the benefit of the World Cup far outweighs any unneeded publicity, the benefit will come to the people of the region and Qatar.”
Commenting on the power of football to change perceptions and break down stereotypes of Qatar, the Middle East and the Arab world, Hassan al Thawadi said: “It’s a transformational opportunity for the region to benefit from this great event.”
“You have this powerful tool that can break down opinions – not simply from an ideological point of view, but for the average fan.
“People and fans can build relationships. They will support their teams but they can also create a bond through their shared love of football.”
Al Thawadi continued: “The World Cup was always an opportunity for positive change. All we can do (as a country) is striving to continuously improve. We’ve evolved over the last ten years and we’re developing every day. We’re implementing change and we’re improving people’s lives.”
Thawadi said preparations for the tournament were on-track and will include the unveiling of three more stadiums in 2020. He also touched on the Arabian Gulf Cup and ongoing FIFA Club World Cup as ideal opportunities to test readiness while giving fans a taste of what to expect in 2022.
“Everything is coming together according to plan. Next year, three stadiums will come into the pipeline.
“The Club World Cup and Gulf Cup are a chance to listen to the fans. We want to ensure our plans meet their expectations for 2022.”
As well as this year’s edition of the Club World Cup - a six-team knock-out tournament in which Liverpool will face five other continental champions. Liverpool will take on Monterrey in the semifinal on Wednesday, while Flamengo face Al Hilal on Tuesday.
Qatar will also be the venue of the 2020 tournament. Staging both will Qatar with its preparations for the World Cup, it will host in little over three years’ time.
Doha
The Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) Hassan al Thawadi, has stated that the on-going FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019 will be a celebration of multiculturalism in Qatar.
Thawadi, who is also CEO World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC, was speaking at the Doha Forum on Sunday.
Responding to a question from CNN’s Becky Anderson on reports highlighting workers’ rights and the deaths of migrant workers in the country after Liverpool FC supporters’ group Spirit of Shankly noted their concern about Liverpool playing in the country, Hassan al Thawadi said, “We engaged with Liverpool and Spirit of Shankly, and opened ourselves up to questioning in order to dispel any misconceptions and answer their questions. We’ve been open and transparent on the genuine progress that has been made and that reflects our values as a nation.
“I think both the club and supporters’ associations recognised we are genuine. We look forward to hosting them in Qatar.
“The number of Liverpool fans coming that I heard is about 5000 and when the Liverpool fans arrive, the Monterrey fans are already here, and the Flamengo fans coming, I think it will be a celebration of multiculturalism in a nation that truly embraces it,” added Thawadi. Asked if Qatar Qatar has been criticised unduly since winning the rights to host the World Cup, Thawadi said: “The level of criticism against Qatar since 2010 was biased, in other areas misinformed, in some areas calculated and others constructive and genuine.
“We are in a the very strange situation for ten years facing criticisms that no nation has ever experienced as a host nation for such a period of time. So anytime, there is a new story we are targeted, host nations are usually faced with criticisms like Russia, Brazil and South Africa but there was a targeted campaign to spread misinformation and falsehood against Qatar that didn’t happen. There were other campaigns that provided constructively and merited criticism that we embraced. Overall, we believe the benefit of the World Cup far outweighs any unneeded publicity, the benefit will come to the people of the region and Qatar.”
Commenting on the power of football to change perceptions and break down stereotypes of Qatar, the Middle East and the Arab world, Hassan al Thawadi said: “It’s a transformational opportunity for the region to benefit from this great event.”
“You have this powerful tool that can break down opinions – not simply from an ideological point of view, but for the average fan.
“People and fans can build relationships. They will support their teams but they can also create a bond through their shared love of football.”
Al Thawadi continued: “The World Cup was always an opportunity for positive change. All we can do (as a country) is striving to continuously improve. We’ve evolved over the last ten years and we’re developing every day. We’re implementing change and we’re improving people’s lives.”
Thawadi said preparations for the tournament were on-track and will include the unveiling of three more stadiums in 2020. He also touched on the Arabian Gulf Cup and ongoing FIFA Club World Cup as ideal opportunities to test readiness while giving fans a taste of what to expect in 2022.
“Everything is coming together according to plan. Next year, three stadiums will come into the pipeline.
“The Club World Cup and Gulf Cup are a chance to listen to the fans. We want to ensure our plans meet their expectations for 2022.”
As well as this year’s edition of the Club World Cup - a six-team knock-out tournament in which Liverpool will face five other continental champions. Liverpool will take on Monterrey in the semifinal on Wednesday, while Flamengo face Al Hilal on Tuesday.
Qatar will also be the venue of the 2020 tournament. Staging both will Qatar with its preparations for the World Cup, it will host in little over three years’ time.
