Global Arab Network | First Arab Country - Qatar to Host 2022 World Cup

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First Arab Country - Qatar to Host 2022 World Cup

Thursday, 02 December 2010 16:31

Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup while Russia in 2018. The decision was announced in Zurich by Joseph Blatter, the president of football's world governing body FIFA, following a secret ballot by 22 members of its executive committee, Global Arab Network reports.
Saudi_Arabia_Supports_Qatar_2022_Bid__World_Cup_FIFA

Saudi_Arabia_Supports_Qatar_2022_Bid__World_Cup_FIFA

Russia won the vote ahead of rival bidders England, Portugal/Spain and Belgium/Netherlands. It will be the first time either Russia or Qatar have staged a World Cup.

Qatar, which is hosting the 2011 Asian Cup in January, won ahead of rival bidders Australia, United States, South Korea and Japan.

It becomes the first Arab country, the first from the Middle East and Gulf region to host football's biggest tournament. The vote came after the final 30-minute presentations by the 2018 candidates.
The 2022 candidates made their presentations Wednesday. The executive committee, led by Blatter, consists of eight vice-presidents and 15 members, but Thursday's vote was made by 22 members.

The victorious bidders for each tournament were the first to gain an absolute majority of 12 votes among the members. The names of the winning bids were placed in an envelope and announced by Blatter at Zurich Exhibition Centre.

Regional and local media have highlighted Qatar's "impassioned appeal" to take a bold and courageous decision and award the FIFA World Cup 2022 to the Middle East for the first time in the long history of the world’s most popular sport.

"Qatar today stands on the brink of earning a historic distinction for Arab nations as football's international governing body decides where the 2022 World Cup should be staged.
"There is excitement throughout the Middle East at the possibility that Qatar will, in 2022, become the first country from the region, and the first Muslim nation, to host football's grandest tournament," Abu Dhabi-based The National daily’s Colin Randal reported from Zurich.

Qatar's oldest English-language newspaper in the region Gulf Times Thursday published a 16-page glossy supplement showcasing editorials, features and reports on Qatar’s final presentation made yesterday by Qatar 2022 Bid Committee Chairman HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani as well as HH Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned's emotional address to the FIFA at its headquarters in Zurich.

"Qatar's efforts seem to have convinced many neutral observers," wrote Gulf Times's Senior Sports Reporter Suman Malla, and quoted a sports group chief of a leading hospitality brand, who said, "Qatar has developed into a world renowned centre for sports events and we can see how sport has been a catalyst for development in the region".

"Qatar has made waves with its carbon-free cooling technology to beat the heat issue and has pledged to donate parts of its World Cup stadiums to developing countries after the 2022 event and impressed with its sports stewardship by helping developing football nations like Lebanon, Nepal, Syria and Pakistan, wrote Rizwan Rehmat, Sports Editor of Doha-based English-language daily The Peninsula.

Global Arab Network

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