With the 2022 FIFA World Cup commencing in November, the clamour around the competition concerning the game is minuscule, as headlines are dominated by the hosts. Qatar, is the first Middle Eastern country to host the globe's most glamorous sporting event. The nation’s successful bid to host the event in all fairness is an insult to the character and ethos of the game.
There is a lot of commotion, approaching from all directions with claims and counterclaims, the truth is such a scenario can often get ignored amidst the noise. On one hand, we have human rights organizations, who are adamantly critical of Qatar being the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. On the other hand, there is the Qatari state with its media representative claiming that 2022 is a unique opportunity to develop and nurture football within the middle east. We have various governments, who courtesy of their vested interests are either critical of Qatar or are advocating for them to host the event. Journalists, players, managers, and pundits all have vociferously contributed to the discourse. There are though several layers of the discourse concerning the subject. From the legitimacy of Qatar’s bid, corruption in FIFA, worker conditions, or a broader debate concerning human rights in the Gulf region.
When Qatar was announced as the host of the FIFA 2022 World Cup by Sepp Blatter, there was a surprise and a certain hysteria. Qatar is a nation with an approximate population of 2.9 million, out of which a mere 10% are native Qatari citizens, with the vast majority of the population predominantly accounting for its migrant workers. Aside from being by far the smallest nation to host the world cup, unlike most former host countries Qatar historically has very little footballing pedigree. Qatar is the first world cup host, never to qualify for the tournament before hosting the event. Qatar’s bid for the world cup also presented innumerable logistical headaches, the nation previously only had one stadium, which was large enough and met FIFA’s standards and criteria to host a world cup game. There was also the question of the countries’ ability to accommodate the sheer number of football fans that generally flood into a world cup hosting nation.
The nation’s geographical location was also considered adverse and implausible for it to host the world cup in the regular calendar season, (June to July). As the average temperature during that season ascended over40 degrees. Well to prevail, over the issue of soaring heat, the resolution was to move the world cup to December, for the first time in competition history disrupting the regular club season and conventional football calendar. Purely on a totting up process and nothing else, when there is a diminutive country, with a small population, trivial footballing pedigree, barely any suitable stadium, inadequate infrastructure, and inhospitable climate. Bidding to host the largest sporting event on the planet, would raise serious eyebrows, adding to the fact that Qatar’s rival bids were submitted by nations like Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the USA. All of which are significantly more suitable candidates for hosting a world cup, purely from considering the logistical metrics.
The Crux of Qatar’s successful bid has been blatant and marring corruption which has been since exposed within FIFA, courtesy of some brave investigative Journalist, followed by FBI investigators uncovering a web of corruption. Of the 22 FIFA executive committee members, who voted in Qatar’s successful capture of the hosting rights, 15 have since faced criminal charges or have been banned by the governing body. Mohammed bin Hammam Qatari businessman, who was President of the Asian Football Confederation when Qatar won the bid, was arguably the most influential person, in terms of Qatar’s, successful bid. Subsequently, The Sunday Times, in its investigative report revealed a series of illicit payments made by Bin Hammam, his associates, and the AFC along with the number of his private emails. The illegitimate payments included 100,000$ paid to the Somali Football Federation, 10,000$ paid to the president of the Gambian Football authority, plus 50,000$ dollars for a new car, the report includes numerous such transactions, paid to dignitaries and delegates of nations within the Asian Football Confederation. Sunday times later reported the total amount offered by the Qatari state-run media house ‘Al-Jazeera’ and the Qatari government to FIFA was roughly 880 million dollars.
The generic suggestion would have been to strip Qatar of hosting the event once the details of complicated and intricate corruption were revealed publicly with substantial evidence. And most people involved in the marring occurrence of voting were either suspended or in some cases arrested. Although a reasonable argument, one might argue that FIFA always has been corrupted and, Russia’s bid for the 2018-word cup was also under dubious and conspicuous circumstances. Does the presence of corruption within FIFA, a mediocre footballing pedigree, and history make Qatar an unsuitable candidate? Considering that they seem to have resolved the pertinent issues of logistics and infrastructure.
The objective response would be no, the corrupt voting process might provide some individuals sufficient justification in their capacity to advocate for Qatar to be stripped of the hosting rights. Rationally though, this would not be adequate to declare a country incompetent to host the FIFA world cup. Additionally alluding to questions of inhospitable climate, again it should not inevitably rule Qatar out, as there are several counties located in the Gulf, Africa, and parts of Asia, where it is simply extremely hot to play football during regular football season and even if the world cup is ever to be hosted, it must be during winters. The alternative for such counties would be them never getting the opportunity to host the world cup.
The world cup is supposed to be for the world, the question of a nation’s performance or football pedigree is not substantive for them to be deprived of hosting such an event. Especially since the competition can be a catalyst in promoting the sport and improving the standard of football in such regions. As much as football fans can detest Qatar, for the above reason, they would not impartially justify the opinion of why Qatar should never have been permitted to rights to host the event. The reasons are obvious and more than justified to vindicate people resenting Qatar as a host.
To be Continued...
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