Country under ‘malicious’ attack over hosting of 2022 FIFA World Cup

Qatar has recently been in the eye of a storm for various issues pertaining to the hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) Assistant Secretary General, Tournament Operations, Nasser Al Khater, said that the country was suffering from ‘malicious and unwarranted’ attacks from some camps.

Al Khater, who was speaking at the Soccerex Asian Forum 2016 in Doha, said that many of the critics had not even bothered visiting the country before.

“Unfortunately, we’ve been under malicious and unwarranted attack from some sections. I believe we’ve always responded to criticism that is constructive.

“I appeal to all to come to Qatar and see the situation for yourself and then come forward with constructive criticism rather than resorting to the easier option of criticising with little or no basis,” he was quoted as saying by the SC website.

Qatar won hosting rights for the 2022 World Cup in 2010. Ever since then, the Western media had targeted them over migrant workers and human rights.

Al Khater shunned the argument that the stadiums built for the World Cup would become white elephants after the tournament.

“We aren’t merely building stadiums but scripting well-researched legacy plans into the designs of every single stadium and precinct,” he said.

“There’ve been instances of some World Cup stadiums not having been used following the event. However, Qatar will be different. We’ve consulted with local communities and have built precincts with amenities such as schools.

“We’re also building modular seating in stadiums which can be dismantled after the tournament so that we needn’t be saddled with white elephants. Some stadiums will be fully dismantled and re-used after the tournament,” he said.