This archive report was first published on 22 December 2019.
Published on December 22, 2019, by AFP
As the 2022 World Cup in Qatar approaches, the country's preparations are in full swing. However, despite the progress made, there are still several challenges to be addressed.
Hassan al Thawadi, the secretary general of the supreme committee for the World Cup, has described the recent Club World Cup as a 'great success' as a test event. However, he admitted that Qatar still has a lot to learn over the next three years.
Al Thawadi was speaking at Education City, one of the proposed venues for the 2022 tournament. The 40,000-seat stadium, which will be partially dismantled after 2022, was due to be inaugurated during the Club World Cup but was delayed.
Despite the challenges, Qatar's new metro network has performed well, with crowds of fans and commuters using the system. However, with organisers expecting at least 1.2 million supporters in Doha in 2022, there are concerns about congestion and transportation.
Al Thawadi reassured fans that the country is building the necessary capacity to handle the influx of supporters. He also sought to reassure fans from Western cultures that they will be made to feel welcome.
However, there are still concerns about how LGBT fans will be welcomed. Paul Amann, of Liverpool's LGBT supporters' club, Kop Outs, expressed satisfaction with Qatar's approach, but Al Thawadi admitted that public displays of affection are not part of the country's culture.
The Club World Cup has also confirmed that fans need not worry about temperatures, which were a concern after the tournament was moved from its usual June-July slot to the end of the year.
