Qatar aims to wow world with cooled stadia

Mumbai, April 21

Unfazed by the economic boycott undertaken by the Saudi Arabia-led bloc of countries, 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts Qatar are extremely confident of delivering a top-notch event and also expect a big contingent from India to attend football’s show-piece event in the Arabian desert.

“For us, sports and politics are separate, and so we are confident that our vision and meticulous planning that has gone in over the last eight years to accomplish it will bear fruits in 2022, irrespective of the blockade imposed on Qatar,” World Cup CEO Nasser Al Khater said.

“We have maximised the use of alternative shipping lines and air routes since the blockade was imposed. In addition to ports of other countries in the Middle East, we have also increased the use of shipping lines to India, China and the ASEAN regions, namely Malaysia and Singapore,” he emphasised.

Taking into consideration the fact that in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Indian fans constituted the third biggest group of ticket purchasers from countries that had not qualified for the tournament, he said that Indian fans will find travel to Qatar a smooth affair. “Because of Qatar’s geographical proximity to India, the visa on arrival facility is extended to the Indian nationals,” he said.

Al Khater also discussed the advanced cooling system being put in place in all the stadiums. He also said that at the redeveloped Khalifa International Stadium “the playing area will be maintained at 23 degrees Celsius throughout the match despite the temperature outside being 40 degrees”. 

When queried about restrictions on consumption of alcohol during the World Cup, Al Khater said: “Alcohol is currently available in Qatar in designated areas, including hotels for example, and this will not change in 2022.” — PTI