Qatar’s way of hosting FIFA World Cup grabs world’s attention 

Sports play a significant role in enhancing the image and reputation of a country. One can understand it quickly by looking at Qatar which is hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup on a grand scale.

Hyderabad: Sports play a significant role in enhancing the image and reputation of a country. One can understand it quickly by looking at Qatar which is hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup on a grand scale. Qatar took the world by surprise by spending a record $220 billion for hosting the prestigious event. It forayed into the record books by becoming the first country to spend such a huge amount for hosting the world cup.

The Islamic country has faced many challenges in the last 12 years since it was awarded the rights to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup in 2010. It received severe criticism from western media over its governance policies, including human rights violations, allegations of bribery in bidding, and its stance against homosexuality. But Qatar has overcome all those challenges to successfully host the mega event, and won the heart of football fans.

The world cup was officially launched by King Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in the presence of other dignitaries. Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar was also present at the world cup inauguration ceremony.

The Arab country has allocated huge funds for the development of infrastructure (building new roads, malls, and subway stations), and adopted the latest technology to make its mark in the football world. Semi-automated offside technology is being used in the world cup for the first time. A total of 12 cameras are mounted beneath the roof of the stadium to track the ball and calculate the exact position of players on the pitch. Moreover, a high-level sensor is placed in the centre of the ball, which sends data to the video operations team to identify the accurate position of kick points.

Every football stadium in Qatar is equipped with fully air-conditioning systems that run on solar power to protect players and fans from extreme heat. The spectators present at the opening ceremony were given expensive perfumes, miniature La’eeb (official mascot), memorabilia, and a headdress and shirt.

The tournament’s opening ceremony and the first match of the event took place at the newly built Al Bayt Stadium, which was designed to reflect the traditional Arab culture and heritage. In addition to Al Bayt Stadium, the country has built 6 new advanced stadiums with huge costs.

Total spending of previous hosts of the world cup:

Russia – $11.6 billion – 2018 World Cup

Brazil – $15 billion – 2014 World Cup

South Africa – $3.6 billion – 2010 World Cup

Germany – $4.6 billion – 2006 World Cup

South Korea/Japan – $7 billion – 2002 World Cup