India international full-back duo of Pritam Kotal and Narayan Das have praised the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) for selecting stadium designs rooted in the culture and traditions of the people of Qatar as the host nation of the second ever FIFA World Cup in Asia prepares for the world’s biggest single-sport event in 2022.
Al Thumama Stadium, whose ‘gahfiya’-inspired design was unveiled last year, won global future project recognition from the architecture industry in May in the sports and stadium category.
Al Wakrah Stadium, designed by the late Zaha Hadid, and Al Bayt Stadium are two of the other 2022 venues which are inspired by Arabic cultural motifs in their celebrated designs.
Right-back Kotal and left-back Das, who had featured in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign of the ‘Blue Tigers’, played important roles at the back to help Stephen Constantine’s side qualify for their first AFC Asian Cup next year since the 2011 edition in Qatar.
The duo, who ply their trade for India Super League side Delhi Dynamos, were part of their club’s guided tour around the SC’s Legacy Pavilion facility in Doha, where they recently underwent a week-long pre-season training at the Aspire Academy. The 25-year-old defenders took time off during the visit to speak to the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy:
How would you describe your experience at the SC office?
Pritam Kotal: This has been a great opportunity to know in detail about Qatar’s preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. I am delighted to see that the 2022 stadiums reflect the culture and tradition of the region. I am also happy that the Indian community of Qatar, who facilitated our visit, is playing a key role in 2022 FIFA WC preparations by partnering with SC. I am excited to see the stadiums getting ready and I will share my feelings with friends and colleagues in India.
Narayan Das: It is amazing to know about Qatar’s 2022 WC hosting plans. Qatar is thinking so differently while preparing for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. I am happy to see the country drawing inspiration from its own culture, tradition and people as it prepares for the World Cup. The 2022 WC will be the best in the world.
Would the time spent in Qatar have a positive impact on you once you start planning for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers?
Pritam Kotal: It has been a great experience training in the world-class training facilities at Aspire. The stint will help me during the upcoming ISL season. The time I spent at the SC office will surely inspire me as I wear my India shirt and take the field during the Asia Cup and the World Cup Qualifiers. However unrealistic it is, there is now a dream to come back here in 2022 and play in one of these magnificent stadiums.
Narayan Das: It is every footballer’s dream to play in the FIFA World Cup. The time we spent here will definitely inspire us in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. We also hope this experience will inspire both of us in January, when we take the field in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Indian football is currently at a stage where, for us, the Asian Cup is like the FIFA World Cup. A strong performance in Asia’s premier tournament is what is within our reach now.
In the Asian Cup, both of you will be defending against gifted players such as Omar Abdulrahman of UAE and Chanathip Songkrasin of Thailand in the group stage. Would a competitive performance in UAE give India the confidence in the 2022 FIFA WC Qualifiers to improve on its 2018 qualification performance?
Pritam Kotal: The Asian Cup will be a great learning experience for us at the highest level and will make us a better team for the 2022 Qualifiers. As you rightly mentioned, UAE and Thailand have top-class attacking talent. Our coach will have a tactic for us ahead of those matches and we will do our best while implementing it. We will observe how these players move and improvise our game accordingly. When we play against a quality team it gives us a chance to improve. For instance, I remember playing against many key members of Iran’s brilliant 2018 FIFA World Cup team in the age-group as well as senior levels. We played them in 2011 in Tehran during the qualifiers of the Asian U-19 Championship and then during the second round of the 2018 FIFA WC Qualifiers.
Narayan Das: Being part of the Asian Cup will help us in the 2022 Qualifiers. It will be the first Asian Cup for both of us and we will get the opportunity to test ourselves at a higher level. The tournament will give us an opportunity to analyse our strengths and weaknesses. We will become better players by the time of our next major assignment, the 2022 Qualifiers.
Delhi Dynamos players listen to a presentation at the Supreme Committee’s office in Doha.
