On Dec 10, the whole of Qatar, and perhaps the Arab world, was standing and applauding the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
History will tell us that Qatar’s the first country in the Middle East to hold such a prestigious and generally profitable competition.
And if the rest of the world had little knowledge of the rich Middle Eastern kingdom prior to this moment, the World Cup will definitely change all that.
In a recent statement, its ruler, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, says the country has faced unprecedented criticism since winning the bid to host the 2022 World Cup.
He said while some criticism was constructive, others amounted to slander.
“We initially dealt with the matter in good faith,” Sheikh Tamim said in a televised policy speech, but he feels a campaign was orchestrated against Qatar and it included ” fabrications and double standards that were so ferocious that it has unfortunately prompted many people to question the real reasons and motives behind the campaign”.
Though the Sheikh did not state that the country regrets the decision to accept the FIFA World Cup 2022, the undertones of his statement can be construed as saying the emirates could have been in a better place without the competition.
However, the country is still focussing on the organisation of the game and has planned sufficient beds for short stays and longer stays.
The event kicks off on Nov 20, and they expect 1.2 million visitors during the tournament.
Sheikh Tamim says the whole organisation of the World Cup was “a great test for a country the size of Qatar”.
Attacks against Qatar
Activists and human rights campaigners have in the past months attacked Qatar and reminded other countries that their participation in the event will only support the alleged crimes against foreign workers.
Qatar is also facing the potential outburst of ‘gay rights’ activists and soccer players who want to wear a pro-gay armband to show support for the LGBT community.
Here are more stories related to the FIFA 2022 World Cup.