Qatar eyes 'best of the best' turf for 2022

4/28/2016 9:54:48 PM

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) A worker tends to grass being grown at a research and development centre in Murakh to find the best playing surface for FIFA 2022 yesterday.

Doha: Watching grass grow is not usually considered exciting but there’s a buzz of anticipation among Qatar’s World Cup organisers about 12 types of turf gently sprouting on former Doha farmland.

One of the dozen grasses will take centre stage and become the most watched strips of green on the globe at least for 28 days during the FIFA 2022 World Cup.

Different turfs are being grown at a research and development centre to find the best playing surface for the football World Cup in six years’ time.

“This is a unique facility there’s nothing like it in this region” said Yasser Abdulla Mulla a sports turf manager with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy responsible for organising the World Cup.

“We are looking for the best type of grass that can survive the region and Doha. We are looking for the best of the best.”

The R & D centre is in Murakh to the western margins of Doha. Emphasising Qatar’s transformation it was formally a place where dates were grown and locals brought their animals to drink at freshwater wells.

Now it is a high-tech testing centre built in the shadow of the Khalifa International Stadium which will host the World Athletics Championships in 2019 and World Cup games three years later.

All the grasses are flown in from abroad usually the US. They are transported as sprigs in 40kg boxes planted watered and grown in full shade partial shade or left uncovered leaving the turf to the mercy of the harsh desert climate.

The grasses are watered once a day and have been planted as a full pitch or in about metre-long squares depending on what is being tested.

They are examined not only for how they survive the weather — even though the 2022 World Cup is to be played in November-December — but also the turf’s “playability” and aesthetics.

The turfs are a selection of types such as Bermuda grass commonly fast-growing and tough Paspalum found in sub-tropical regions or tufted Ryegrass.

Sand and organic materials are used for the grass base.

Trials started last year and a final decision will be taken next year.

That choice rests with Qatar says Mulla but it will have to be mowed into a pattern approved by football’s governing body FIFA for the tournament.

AFP

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.