Football Special Report: Why Qatar deserves to host the FIFA World Cup (Part 1)
On 9th December 2010, FIFA president Sepp Blatter opened the golden envelope in Zurich to announce to the world that Middle Eastern nation Qatar, is going to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Thousands of Qataris were seen shouting and cheering in
joy when they heard that they were going to be the most talked about nation in 12 years. But amidst the understandable joy, accusations and anger revolved around the world. From a simple person to a Head of State (no points for guessing who) people raised
serious questions regarding FIFA’s involvement in corruption.
Being a country with inferior infrastructure, a security threat and a harsh climate among its other rivals in the bidding process didn’t help either.
People are still fuming at the decision and are already jumping to predictions for the event that is still 12 years away. What they fail to see is that the world cup will leave a sporting and perhaps, a sport-changing legacy behind. Quite clearly, Qatar
will put up a good show come 2012 with 12 venues that would be architectural wonders.
Which country ever thought of using solar power to cool the internal environment of the stadiums? This bold step was taken by the Qatari bid team. They proposed the idea because they know that they have the resources to do so. The bid team also assured that
the upper sections of 9 of the 12 stadiums will be removed after the mega event and they will be sent to a few developing nations where there is no proper infrastructure. Was a step like this taken from a superior footballing nation? The answer is no! Qatar
is not a football giant but the bid team made its’ credentials even stronger by saying so.
Google the name of all the stadiums and you will see how beautiful and state of the art these venues will be when the moment comes.
Qatar University Stadium
Capacity: 43,500
The intricate golden patterns around the stadium reflect the true and rich beauty of Arabian culture. The Qatar University stadium is located on the outskirts of Doha, the capital of Qatar. The current track and field arena will be replaced and after the
tournaments, students of Qatar University will use it as a multi-purpose sports facility. The permanent capacity is 23,500.
It is a truly modern stadium and has everything that fills the requirement of an international athlete and the most elite players will have a chance to witness the modern infrastructure. After the tournament finishes, the upper tier of Qatar University Stadium
will be removed and donated to a developing football nation.
Al Rayyan Stadium
Capacity: 44,740
The landlocked municipality of Al Rayyan is another venue for the event and it has a futuristic look about it. Designed with a ‘media membrane’ façade, Al Rayyan stadium will act like a huge screen that will project news, updates and current matches. Fans
who don’t get the chance to buy tickets for the matches for this venue will still be able to watch the post-match environment and those sitting inside the stadium, will get to see replays from different angles. This stadium is the first of its kind and will
change the face of fan experience forever.
Al-Gharafa Stadium
Capacity: 45,000
This stadium will host the 2011 AFC Asian Cup and is another revolutionary stadium.
The exterior ribbons surrounding the stadium will actually be the colours of nations participating in Qatar 2022. This new method will surely bring nations closer and will represent respect for all competing nations. Al-Gharafa Stadium is yet another reason
why Qatar deserves a shot at hosting the FIFA World Cup.
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