Qatar 2022 CEO Nassel Al Khater hoping for substantial viewership from India in 2022 WC

The organizers of the FIFA World Cup are expecting better viewership from the Indian audience in the 2022 edition because of the event taking place in Qatar. Due to the time difference, the games that take place in the 2022 edition will be at extremely convenient timings for the Indian audience as games will air during the course of the evening in the sub-continent. 

Qatar will become the first country in the Middle East to host the mega sporting event, which will kick off from November 21, 2022. “It (FIFA World Cup) may not be as gigantic (in India) as Cricket World Cup but the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia drew broadcast audiences of nearly 300 million in India and this is only going to go further up in 2022,” Nasser Al Khater, CEO Qatar 2022 told PTI in an interview.

“In India, the majority of matches will kick-off at convenient times. During the group stage, the first game will start at 15:30 IST and the last game at 00:30 IST. The second and third matches at 18:30 and 21:30 IST respectively, which will both be consumed by prime-time evening broadcast audience in India,” said Khater who also added that Qatar is committed to delivering an affordable and exciting experience to anyone who visits the country during the World Cup.

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Moreover, Nasser Al Khater has also made it clear that Indian clubs are more than welcome to use the world-class training facilities in Qatar whenever they want. “Indian clubs are always welcome to Qatar, whether for training or competition. I am certain that anyone who makes the trip will enjoy world-class facilities and our renowned hospitality.”

Willing to help countries like India by sharing technology: Nasser Al Khater, CEO Qatar 2022

Nasser Al Khater also confirmed that Qatar is using cooling systems during games for players to cope with the harsh climate and the country is also willing to share the technology with countries like India, where playing in a hot environment can become tiresome for many.

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Qatar had used cooling systems at FIFA World Cup 2022 stadiums during the AFC Champions League matches in September and Al Khater said that they were ready to share the technology with countries having similar climate. “We are definitely open to sharing our knowledge and expertise when it comes to the cooling technology with any country with a similar climate to Qatar who may benefit from it.” 

The qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2022 were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this summer, but are expected to re-commence sometime next year. The Indian football team has been unable to win any of their games from the Asian circuit and will need a miracle to keep their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup alive in the games ahead.

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Image credits: Road to 2022 Twitter