DUBAI: Qatar has promised it will keep fans and players cool if it wins the right to host the 2022 World Cup. This week, it will get a chance to prove it.
The country will host a FIFA delegation starting Tuesday and the highlight is expected to be a tour of a specially-designed stadium for five-a-side football which is supposed to keep temperatures at 27 Celsius (81 F) on the field and in the stands, far cooler than the 41 C (106 F) average in June, July and August.
The solar-powered system is designed to continuously pump cool air into the venues, and Hassan al-Thawadi, the CEO of the Qatar bid committee, has said the technology can be expanded in the coming years to ensure that fan zones and training sites are also kept cool.
The heat — the local press reported this was the hottest summer on record and included a July day when the temperature topped 50 Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) — and the country’s strict restrictions on alcohol have emerged as the biggest hurdles for the World Cup bid from this tiny Middle East nation.
Most analysts consider it the long shot in a group of bidders containing the United States, Australia, South Korea and Japan, which all have hosted either a World Cup or an Olympics in the past.
While it is the smallest bidding nation, it is among the richest and it is expected to also flex that financial muscle in the coming days. Qatar will present its $4 billion plan to build nine stadiums and renovate three others — all with the new cooling system — as well as some of the $42.9 billion in infrastructure upgrades that it plans regardless of whether it wins the bid.
It also plans to make the case that a Qatar World Cup would make history; since it would be the first time that a Middle East nation has hosted the prestigious tournament.
"Qatar has a good chance to win the bid and it is not only Qatar’s bid but that of the whole region. Our aim is to bring the world’s greatest football event to the Middle East for the first time," Qatar 2022 bid committee communications director Nasser Al Khater said in comments e-mailed to The Associated Press on Monday. "As a team, we are feeling positive.
"I am sure that Qatar has limitless potential and we stand in the first row with other serious bidders."
FIFA president Sepp Blatter earlier this year gave Qatar’s bid a boost when he said the Arab world deserves to stage a World Cup. He was instrumental in delivering the World Cup to South Africa for 2010, the first on the African continent.
Blatter said Qatar’s successful hosting of the 2006 Asian Games showed it was capable of organizing big international events.
Qatar is planning to build a new international airport and an air-conditioned public transport system — with infrastructure scheduled to be finished by 2017.
But critics question whether Qatar’s largely untested cooling system will work and many Westerners remain unconvinced that Qatar will change its conservative ways and allow fans to let loose with dancing and drinking in the streets — which has become the norm at World Cups since the advent of dedicated Fan Zones.
It also faces political hurdles; over concerns whether it would open its doors to fans and officials who are Israeli passport holders since the two countries don’t have diplomatic relations. It also may encounter an unexpected challenge from China which is considering bidding for the 2026 World Cup.
A China bid could weigh on FIFA committee members, who would have to debate whether to vote in favor of an Asian host such as Qatar in 2022 or wait until 2026. One continent cannot host consecutive World Cups.
FIFA’s executive committee will decide on the hosts for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups on Dec. 2. The FIFA inspection team has already visited Japan, South Korea, Australia and the United States.
Al Khater said the technical side of the Qatar bid was very sound.
"We want to leave a lasting impression on our visitors and we have a comprehensive and exciting program this week," he said. "The whole bid team is looking forward to showing the inspectors why Qatar would be a great partner for FIFA."
