Qatar’s World Cup challenge magnified by track worlds issues

By day, Juma Marzouq approves Qatar’s masterplans for vast stadium infrastructure for 2022 World Cup. By night, Marzouq goes into fan mode, tackling challenge of filling soccer arenas in this tiny nation. Marzouq has seen encouraging signs since Qatar’s breakthrough on field in February when it won Asian Cup for its first major soccer title. urban planning expert last week glanced around near-full stands of Al Sadd’s 15,000-seat stadium for visit of Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal in semifinals of Asian Champions League, a small victory for hosts. “We have a new generation coming to stadiums,” Marzouq said. 

It isn’t always like this at soccer — or any or sport in Qatar — despite ruling family’s thirst for bidding for elite events. Almost 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, far less boisterous scenes played out at Khalifa Stadium for most of 10 days of world track and field championships that ended Sunday. Organizers were left trying to explain away thousands of empty seats.

“In every event re are lessons learned,” said Dahlan Al Hamad, vice president of local organizing committee. “You cant build fan in one day, you have to eng m in sport, y have to kw system of sport, y have to have ir athletes and kw about ir lives. “We are really increasing number of fans,” he said. “If you could just compare today compared to 10 years ago you kw, fans here in Doha, it would be totally different than here.”

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'Crazy for soccer'

Just like FIFA’s contentious decision to grant 2022 World Cup to Qatar, this was first time showpiece event on track calendar had been awarded to Middle East. sparsely attended competition reignited concerns about Qatar’s ability to fill eight stadiums that have been built from scratch or completely revated to meet FIFA’s standards. “People love (soccer) here,” said Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez, a World Cup-winning midfielder with Spain in 2010. “y are crazy for (soccer).” Xavi is helping to promote Qatar’s soccer credentials to a world skeptical of choice of location for sport’s premier quadrennial event. He also does dam control — World Cup bidding process and conditions for migrant workers building event’s infrastructure are two hot-button topics.

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Fans expected to travel

FIFA is counting on rabid fans to travel matter where world’s most popular sporting event is held because this World Cup faces challenges ors haven’t. oppressive summer heat forced FIFA to move World Cup from its June-July slot to a vember-December schedule that cuts into club season in Europe and changes habits of fans who are resistant to change. Those who make trip will need to be open-minded, and patient, especially in traffic on Doha roads.

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Finding a beer won’t be easy. Many hotels are dry and only one shop in country sells booze to locally-based foreigners with employer approval. Unlike in Russia or Brazil — past two hosts — re is t a vast variety of tourist attractions, beyond national museum that is still being completed, souk and trips into desert. With all stadiums within an hour of Doha, skyscraper and mall-filled capital will be hub. Fans will t be able to do easily is hop across on a plane to sprawling tourist resorts of Dubai, unless United Arab Emirates and its regional allies restore diplomatic, ecomic and travel ties with Qatar that were severed in 2017 over allegations denied by Doha that it supports extremism.

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