Qatar’s commitment to host 2022 World Cup reaffirmed

Supreme Committee for Delivery &Legacy secretary-general Hassanal-Thawadi has reiterated Qatar’s commitment to hold the 2022 FIFA WorldCup, notwithstanding the rumours and false propaganda engineered bysome Gulf countries and their associates working from other places.He was speaking at a seminar on “Qatar’s dignity and victory after ninemonths of siege” hosted by Gulf Times’ sister Arabic daily Arrayah onSunday evening at the Ritz-Carlton Doha.Insisting that Qatar would host the World Cup impeccably four years fromnow, the SC official recalled that the FIFA has repeatedly dispelledall fears and their top officials have been on record many a time thatthe tournament would be held in Qatar.The world football body’s officials have said over and again that politics has nothing to do with the conduct of the World Cup.Like some of the other panellists, the SC also official said one of themain reasons for some Gulf States imposing economic blockade on Qatarwas to thwart Qatar from hosting the World Cup.Al-Thawadi said Qatar’s preparations for hosting the tournament aregoing on in full swing and works of most of the venues are in anadvanced stage.The official said though the country faced some issues with the vendorsof construction materials at one stage, the administrators here havefound effective alternatives and the country is now quality gettingmaterials at competitive prices and all imports are arriving on time atHamad Port and goods are effectively delivered to the contractors.Al-Thawadi said prior to the blockade, goods were mainly coming from theGulf countries but now new suppliers have been found and new channelsfor bringing goods have been found.“Adequate number of materials are now arriving and construction ofstadium and other related projects are in full swing,” he said.The SC official said Al Wakrah and Al Bayt stadiums, which are venuesfor the 2022 FIFA World Cup, will be completed next year and the QatarMetro would be operational two years before the World Cup.“A large number of new world class roads are in various stages ofconstruction and each of these works has shown to the world that ourpreparations for the World Cup are in full swing. Our country iseconomically competent and it is now demonstrating its capability todeliver a flawless World Cup,” said al-Thawadi.The opening of the Khalifa Stadium, which is one of the venues for the2022 FIFA World Cup by His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamadal-Thani, stands testimony to Qatar’s commitment to hold the tournamentin a big way, he said while extending a grand welcome to football fansfrom across the world to come to the country.Cautioning people against misleading stories by vested interests, the SCsecretary-general said such false propaganda would have no effect onthe hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.He also said SC’s teams would be there in full strength at the 2018 FIFAWorld Cup in Russia three months from now to learn from thatexperiences.