HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari said that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 represented a unique event in the history of football World Cups as the safest and healthiest tournament ever. During her participation at the second Sport for Health Steering Committee meeting in Geneva, HE Dr al-Kuwari said: "The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was a unique event in the history of FIFA World Cups for many reasons, one of which is that this was the safest and healthiest World Cup ever. I am proud of the achievements of the Sport for Health partnership and its positive impact on the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
"This unique partnership was a major factor in helping Qatar deliver the healthiest and safest FIFA World Cup in history. I extend my thanks to all staff and to the leaders of WHO, FIFA and the SC for their commitment today to working together to ensure we pass on the lessons learned from this experience to organisers of future mega sporting events." HE the Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Hassan al-Thawadi, said: "Qatar's vision for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was always clear: to deliver the best edition of the tournament in its 93-year history, gather the world in the Middle East for the first time in a global celebration, and deliver a sustainable and impactful legacy for Qatar, the region and the world. Set against the challenges of Covid-19, we achieved all this, and more.
"Throughout, the Sport for Health partnership has not only been a key pillar in delivering the healthiest World Cup ever but also in ensuring that best practices were developed and shared for future mega-events. We look forward to sharing that knowledge, contributing to the success of future events around the world, and adding to the profound legacy that our world cup leaves behind."
The meeting, which brought together the Ministry of Public Health, WHO, FIFA and SC, discussed the wide range of health actions delivered to date by the Sport for Health partners under three key pillars: Health Promotion; Health Security; and Health Communications. In October 2021, the four organisations signed a unique three-year partnership to make the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 a beacon for physical and mental health promotion, and a model for ensuring future mega sport events are healthy and safe. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, chaired the Steering Committee meeting.