The Local Attitude Part 3

WARNING: - To all those who are too lazy and (FAT in the head) to not read, my suggestion to you right now, look elsewhere!!!

Greetings one and all! I hope you are having a pleasant weekend! And since it is the weekend I thought that maybe through this piece I would like to offer my humble gratitude and admiration to all those who have read and appreciated my previous posting in spite of its length and my utter censure and disgust at those who were unbelievably slothful and lazy to not be able to read a couple of paragraphs and claim that it was too long (cabbage, to mention a few). I am not surprised to encounter yet again such individuals and as to why people are shifting away from literature and reading after a brief appraisal on their dismal cheeky and naïve comments!

I was only trying to contain my opinions on an issue that for many a time I had highlighted on. (Please check out my previous posts!) I am in no way interested in seeking a major reform on something that I know very well if I was placed with the opportunity to actually contribute, I would definitely be discarded. Not to mention that I do NOT possess any apprehension on something that might have little or no impact to me. Like I earlier proclaimed I am merely expressing my opinions at this public forum!

Anyway I know that I might be a bit tardy on this, and many of you have expressed your opinions on what had happened on the fiasco of the AFC Cup Final. I couldn’t post this earlier as I had been preoccupied. I am pretty sure many of you are terribly vexed about the episode that was the final of the AFC Cup on the Khalifa Stadium. Again without being blatant, I would say, “tell me something I don’t know”! (“nonmerci”----yes I do live here!) As a person who had experienced the incidents beforehand at the ‘Emiri Cup’,(Please read “Attitude problem for the 2022 World Cup”) it just seemed like a ditto scenario and all that the “authorities” had a major concern on was the façade of a full stadium and NOT of the supporters or the real people that actually bought tickets! So basically I knew better, SO I DID NOT GO! Now one may ask, who am I to complain? Aha, here’s where the mistake is, I’m not!

It is sad, terribly sad; almost novice to consider that savagery is the way to control a crowd that mostly comprises of professionals and educated people who have taken the trouble of spending their weekend holiday enduring traffic jams, waiting time and also hard earned money being utilized in order to acquire the tickets themselves. This technique of crowd control had proven its ability in controlling the crowds of the Emiri Cup, so maybe it might as well work here too!

A friend of mine who actually went, in spite of my suggestion not to said to me; “I seriously don’t mind the trip from WAKRAH, the cost of tickets, the waiting time in the unorganized crowd, the inadequacy of parking spaces and finally not allowed to enter, but the only thing that made me bad tempered was the un-polite, unprofessional, discriminatory and rude manner of the “authorities” there!” The harassment of those towards his family was really something he would never forget. I mean is it hard for their “elevated self’s” to reply to us “savage” and “rowdy” and “barbaric” people in a more courteous conduct? Why do they think that we are all animals? Why do they think that we are all deaf by shouting at us? Hmmm wait a min, those guys just got in! (Yeah but the difference between you and them is that they are wearing long Arabic robes and headgear! And can you do the nose kiss??!) I think not!

Now why is it so? Why do these authorities have any reason to believe that they shouldn’t serve with courteousness and respect? Is it because the Securicor employed there are not actually meant for this role and have more important role I.E. the country’s internal security? After all they are trained in special-ops and tactic, weaponry and even emergency mob control (the kind of used in anti-government demonstrations) And what about those so-called “volunteers” who were showing disgruntle at fans who are absolutely clueless about the mayhem that was going on. Pass the anger to us, yeah that’s what we want, that’s what we need. What a great way to welcome fans to the FAN-ZONE!!!
Earlier I was told to have an abstract to what I had to offer, well its simple! Professionalism, Respect and most importantly ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT!!

The attitude ladies and gentlemen.

Downplaying the issue is not a remedy! The official who made the press statements about the tickets fiasco said that the organizing committee would refund the 700 or so fans that didn’t have a chance to enter. SEVEN HUNDRED EXCUSE ME…. but did you personally go there and use a ticker to count them all! Maybe he lost count after all he had to get ready for being a guest on Aljazeera sport channel and going on about how successful this Asian cup was!! (On Sunday 30 Jan 11am)

So it’s not about the facilities, it’s not about people, and it’s definitely not about the standard of football (that’s a different issue all together!) but it’s just about being aesthetically correct! Really just being aesthetically correct?!? The attitude needs a major reformat, not just a refresh! The task at hand is a colossal one prior to the world cup. For instance citing only one of the main criteria is the set up of a ladies football league, (yeah that will be big humongous joke, considering that the local ladies are ardent football players!) One letter that was sent in to one of the English language newspapers about an individual who had experienced this sad spectacle, said that when he had finally contacted a ticketing official after repeated enquires agonizingly said that they weren’t certain if it was full, but only FEARED that it might be because they let in the people in for free, for FEAR of having an empty stadium!!

I couldn’t resist having a sarcastic smile when I read that! This is bad and although the world didn’t see that, the people who did come here from their home countries and those people who might have thought that for once there might be something good in these events, were eventually the victims. The authorities might be able to refund the fans, but is it all? Does money solve everything? (Oops I hope I didn’t step into the wrong puddle!)

And so eventually, as it is with the masses, realization was instant although a bit late! ‘Facebook’ pages that condone and also question the ability of the country to host a major sporting event sprang up. This provided fodder to already bad-mouthing western sports and Internet commentators. Interesting factor is those poor local expat “puppets” that were going with the flow without understanding the wisdom of supporting the WC bid or not suddenly have turned sides! Not too far away, here in ‘QatarLiving’ I think the forum posts are almost uncountable pertaining to this issue. Seriously people WAKE UP!!!

I am in no way a revolutionary (a la the style of current Arab protest movement) but I will maintain that I am only expressing my opinions.

There is a very famous Arabic saying that states; the finale of anything must be musk-scented (i.e. pleasant!) in occidental terms that is last impression should be the best impression! I don’t think for the thousands who were there that night it was anything less than a foul, rude and inconvenience truth! More than anything ‘WORD-OF-MOUTH’ is the most reliable and fastest PR that any event or individual has to come across with. I am not so sure the past events gave any good marks to the events here from anybody. Especially for that local expat (who I was told by my friend) who tried to question the “authorities” about the unfair treatment in letting “some” people in and was eventually pulled away and asked for his “Bitaka”!

Like I earlier pointed out, the committee that was responsible in getting fans for the Asian cup certainly is having a breather because indeed it was a momentous task in order to get the so called “local fans” out of their houses and into the stadium so they can share breathing space with “Foreigners”! Yikes!! But poor they! It looks like they won’t have any rest at all; the “Stars League” has started again so it’s back to buttering and butt-kissing and begging the “fans” to please come to the stadiums. Hmmm a look at the so called “Classico” between the two biggest teams in the league (Alsadd and Rayyan) 2 weeks ago certainly wasn’t living to the kind of exaggerated and almost wishful thinking atmosphere caused by a huge turnout. I bet they were thinking, “hey common now, give us a break, we worked real hard at the Asian Cup!” Mind you if this operation fails there’s always plan-B (i.e. getting busloads of workers and construction site laborers dressed in Arabic attire on stand-by for filling in!) Aaah….. you see we got everything covered!

Some of the respected self’s that have read my previous post have suggested towards the idea of having like a suggestion box whereby the designated authorities can act on them if they might consider them as problem solving. Hmmm good idea but I am sorry I guess there would be no takers for that!

These and many are tale telling signs and like I earlier said it is expected and nothing won’t change unless they change within themselves namely THE ATTITUDE! I am not into blowing my own trumpet but anyway, “I told you so!”

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