World Cup: Qatar can do it
After concerted efforts on part of the Qatari government, on Dec. 2, 2010, it was announced that Qatar would host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. One should have no doubt over Qatar's ability to successfully host the World Cup. However, the Qataris should have known the price they would have to pay for their nomination.
Sports is said to be the fastest way to fame. And you can't separate sports from politics. In today's world, football is about everything and FIFA has more influence on the world youth than any other organization. This is why Qatar should have been prepared for the morning after the nomination. It was clear from the first moment after the nomination that controversies would brew over one thing or the other.
They should have learned from the United States 1994 World Cup. It wasn't the American media or the star athletes but it was the former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger who had persuaded the FIFA to let the US host the 1994 World Cup. The Americans made every effort to get the nomination and at the same time educated the American public about a sport Americans called soccer. America wasn't known for their love of this sport before 1994. As a matter of fact, I don't think they had a league of their own before the nomination. In the ensuing years, the US had and still has one the best football teams in the world and they even won the women's championship beating well-known teams such as the Brazilians.
In few days, FIFA President Sepp Blatter is set to pay a visit to the 2022 World Cup host Qatar to express his "concerns" over the alleged treatment of migrant workers. But are FIFA's concerns about the 2022 World Cup in Qatar about the migrant workers? The answer is: I don't think so. Sporting events are regarded highly by politicians and world leaders. The world saw Adolf Hitler praising his country's achievements during the Olympics in 1936. Observers may recall the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. It was clear that the trophy would not leave the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires. And it is not only governments that take advantage of sporting events.
The World Cup and the Olympics are the most widely covered international events and that is why many labor unions use such events to air their grievances.
We saw it during the 1976 Summer Olympic in Canada when the Olympic Stadium's arch wasn't completed and we saw it recently in Brazil when a million Brazilians took to the streets during a football tournament. In other words, as during such events the entire world attention is focused on the host country, it gets a lot easier for certain internal and external elements to pursue their agenda against the host country. Recent history is filled with such examples. We just need to Google it.
Qatar is going through a similar phase. What FIFA should realize is that the labor dispute could be resolved. The football organization should also start considering other options like holding of the event in Qatar and the UAE as both countries have very advanced infrastructures. The FIFA must also ensure that the tournament is held during winter, as summer in the gulf would prove to be unbearable for both the players and the spectators.
Even if the Qataris (as planned) modify the stadium infrastructure to reduce the heat, it still will be unbearable. People in the gulf countries are excited over the idea of holding the World Cup in Qatar and are all set to make it a huge success. However, the football organization and Qatar must decide carefully whether to hold the tournament during the scorching summer or winter season. So what if this tournament for once is held during the winters.
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Source: ARAB NEWS
