DOHA: Qatar is committed to staging the 2022 FIFA World Cup in summer but a switch to winter would be managed with equal equanimity, the host organisation said yesterday.
FIFA Executive Committee is meeting in Zurich tomorrow to deliberate on the issue.
“We bid for the FIFA World Cup in summer because we saw the opportunity to present solutions for players and fans in our country, and others with similar climates, to enjoy the outdoors in cool, safe and comfortable conditions in the summer months,” Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee said yesterday.
“We committed significant time and resources toward proving that we could host the tournament in summer in cool, comfortable and safe conditions,” the statement added.
“If the international football community reaches a consensus to move the event to an alternate date, we are able to accommodate that change,” it said.
“This would not affect our planning and preparation. Our commitment to cooling technologies will continue, for without it certain parts of the world will be denied the right to host such events.”
“Qatar already has one cooled stadium at Al Sadd Sports Club, retrofitted in 2008. FIFA’s inspection team visited this stadium and experienced the cooling,” the statement said. “In 2010, we constructed a prototype carbon-neutral stadium which utilised renewable energy-powered cooling technologies, which FIFA’s inspection team also visited.”
“We are currently in a period of research and development to implement these environmentally-friendly cooling technologies on a larger scale in our stadiums, training pitches, fan zones and public areas for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.”
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