(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) Staging the 2022 World Cup in the Middle East is "more necessary than ever" considering the current global political climate, Hassan Al Thawadi, secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) said in an interview with the SC website.
"People from all corners of the world will come together on Arab soil, to celebrate and enjoy the world's greatest sporting event and we consider this a precious opportunity to enhance cultural understanding between people of different cultures and backgrounds, uniting through a shared passion for football," Al Thawadi said.
"We spend a huge amount of time working with all of our stakeholders and our communities as we prepare for 2022. We do this to make sure we communicate the benefits of this tournament, to ensure people understand why this will be so special for them and Qatar. What's really exciting is you can see the closer we get, the stronger that feeling will return," he added.
Al Thawadi expressed pride to be leading the preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. "This is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It's an honor to be in this position as we prepare for the first World Cup in the Middle East." "There is nothing in the world that unites people the way football does. It builds bridges, it brings people closer to each other. When you look at some of the issues the world is facing right now this World Cup has never been more important.
There have been some difficult times over the last few years but when you look at everything we have achieved it has been worth every second." Asked about preparations for the showpiece, the SC secretary general said what pleases the committee the most is that "the promises we made during the bid are already being delivered." He added, "We stood up in front of the world and promised this tournament would leave a true legacy € and that's proving to be the case. We're delivering on our stadiums, first and foremost. Six proposed stadiums for the tournament are under construction right now, with more to follow. We are on track with all of them and are happy with our progress.
"It's not just about the stadiums though. We knew the opportunity to host the World Cup would give us the opportunity to contribute to the social legacy of Qatar. We set out a very clear mandate for ourselves to help accelerate the Qatar National Vision 2030. The foundations to achieve this have been laid through strategic programs designed to benefit the people of this region."
Speaking of the social aspect of preparations, Al Thawadi said SC has launched Challenge 22, an initiative that focuses on ebtrepreneurs in the region. "We ran a competition that offered entrepreneurs and inventors the chance to see their ideas come to life as part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This initiative will continue to get bigger and better." "We continue to support the Josoor Institute, an educational program that partners with some of the best universities and sports industry experts to deliver educational program that will help create a fully-fledged sports industry in Qatar. We started by inviting students from all around the region to our courses in Doha and recently expanded by taking our first events to Jordan. It's an amazing program that will cultivate not only the people who will help deliver 2022, but will remain as a legacy capable of delivering future events.
"We have built on our success with Generation Amazing, our main Corporate Social Responsibility Program. Generation Amazing uses the power of football to deliver generational change in countries and communities that need it the most. From Jordan, to Pakistan and Nepal, we're striving to make a difference with initiatives such as installing football pitches or coaching clinics in the communities. I believe we are succeeding," said the SC secretary general.
Asked whether winning the 2022 bid five years ago has affected the level of interest and participation of football, Al Thawadi said the Middle East region has always been passionate about football.
"Despite popular belief, we have a rich football history. Since winning the bid what's been evident is the focus on the national team and the progress or younger players are making. You can see that from the U-19s first ever Asian title in their age category to the senior team's triumph of the 2014 Gulf Cup in Saudi Arabia. The focus isn't simply on elite footballers though. Not every player will make the grade, so there has also been a focus on developing a grassroots football infrastructure for the country. The purest example of this is the number of young soccer schools established for children in Qatar.
"One of the developments we are proud of is the creation of the Qatar Amateur League € an initiative which was a bid promise. Now in its third year, the QAL offers amateur footballers the chance to play the game they love in professional surroundings. They train and play in the stadiums of the Qatar Stars League and it's been a huge success. We also support the Workers' Cup, a tournament that offers blue-collar workers the same opportunity € to play football in professional surroundings. Coupled with the schools and universities leagues, participation in Qatar is huge and is only going to grow," he added.
Regarding the criticism Qatar has faced since winning the 2022 bid, Al Thawadi said it's something that was always expected, adding that every major sporting event comes across criticism. He said though that criticism against Qatar was "particularly intense." "We became the victim of a campaign that singled out Qatar and our successful bid without any shred of evidence. We've had to live with that for five years but there has still been no evidence to suggest our bid committee did anything wrong," he said.
On the investigations currently being carried away by the FBI and Swiss attorney general, the Qatar World Cup organizing committee chief said they "focus on individuals, not a young, hard-working bid committee from Qatar." Asked about his reaction to the latest statement from U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Al Thawadi said it is important to contextualize her comments where she hopes for Qatar's cooperation, if required, in the investigations led by American and Swiss authorities. "This was a direct response to a question from Ms. Lynch's audience specifically referring to Qatar, rather than the Attorney General stating this of her own volition." "We have not been contacted by the U.S. Department of Justice or the office of the Swiss attorney general in relation to their investigations. We cooperated fully with Michael Garcia's Ethics Committee investigation and intend to do the same should there be any request from the American or Swiss authorities.
"We maintain that we conducted our bid ethically and with integrity, strictly adhering to all rules and regulations of the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process.?" As for the labor issues as an area of criticism to Qatar, the SC secretary general said the committee and the government are "taking the right steps to deliver a sustainable solution to the challenges faced in Qatar." "No one in Qatar denies these challenges exist, but we must be allowed to find an answer that works for a country which experienced unprecedented economic growth which gave Qatar an immense opportunity but also a great sense of responsibility. The government recently demonstrated their commitment with the announcement of labor reforms, which shows the determination to use this tournament as a catalyst for social progress," Al Thawadi added.
On questions about safety records where claims rose about people losing their lives while working on World Cup stadiums, the SC secretary general said such reports are not true.
"In more than 14 million man hours worked, the SC has not experienced one single fatality on site. Our Workers' Welfare Standards ensure the highest level of health and safety on all of our stadiums. The welfare of our workers is of paramount importance and we simply do not compromise our high standards," Al Thawadi said.
Asked whether the uncertainty at FIFA is of concern for the Qatar World Cup, Al Thawadi said "what is happening at FIFA is a completely separate issue compared to Qatar's right to host the World Cup, which people will hopefully start to realize." "The Supreme Committee, much like football fans, players and clubs around the world, is committed to working towards a game that is played and managed in a fair and transparent manner and we welcome the reforms FIFA has proposed," he added.
Al Thawadi highlighted the support of GCC for Qatar, pointing out the recent GCC communique shows the support Qatar has from the other countries in the Gulf. "The Gulf Cooperation Council has made its support for Qatar perfectly clear on numerous occasions, so their statement last week wasn't a surprise. It reinforced the fact this World Cup is for the entire Middle East € not just for Qatar." Concluding his interview, Al Thawadi spoke about the next seven years rather than the five that separate the country from the World Cup. "We've achieved a lot since 2010 but the hard work is only just beginning, believe me. Hopefully with the same level of commitment and desire from all of our staff and stakeholders the next seven years will see us deliver an amazing tournament and leave a legacy the entire country can be proud of."
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