(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Rizwan Rehmat / The Peninsula
Qatar yesterday said it was going ahead with its preparations to host the hugely popular Gulf Cup football event which scheduled to be held from December 22 to January 5.
Also yesterday, officials of the regional body, Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF) expressed confidence that the 23rd edition of the eight-nation event will feature teams from the entire region.
Hosts Qatar were yesterday drawn with Bahrain, Iraq and Yemen in Group A. Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates have been placed in Group B with possible inclusion of Kuwait who are currently suspended by FIFA.
Qatar Football Association (QFA) President Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmad Al Thani and QFA Vice President Saoud Al Mohannadi attended the draw ceremony that also saw the presence of Qatar Olympic Committee Secretary General Dr Thani Al Kuwari.
Ahmed Al Buainain, QFA Executive Committee member, Hani Ballan, QFA Executive Committee member, Mansoor Al Ansari, General Secretary of QFA, and AGCFF Executive Committee members were also present.
Officials from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain did not attend the draw ceremony.
'Qatar is ready to organise and host this tournament, Jassim Al Rumaihi, General Secretary of AGCFF, said yesterday.
'As of now, we are ready to host the tournament. If we have less number of teams, then the event will be held on a round-robin format. But right now, we are going full steam with our preparations, he added.
'Preparations are in full swing. The agreement has been signed with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Qatar. Now we are coordinating with the LOC regarding the final preparations including the opening and closing ceremonies. We hope all teams will participate in the tournament, he said.
'We hope Kuwait will participate in the tournament because it is one of the founding members of AGCFF. Kuwait's participation will be addressed by the Executive Committee of the AGCF in the coming weeks, Al Rumaihi said.
Al Rumaihi admitted the Bahrain Football Federation had approached Qatar for a postponement of the event.
'We received a letter from the Bahrain Football Federation asking us to postpone the tournament due to the absence of Kuwait. We responded to the letter that the tournament will be held on the basis of the consultative meeting held in Bahrain (sometime back), Al Rumaihi said.
'The AGCFF was established by eight member countries to make football reach all corners of the region. The body was established to professionalise the growth of the game. We hope this is how we move forward, for the common good of the game in the region, Al Rumaihi said.
'We hope to hold the tournament on time. We are clear in the mind so we will not mix politics with sports because football builds unity among the fans, he added.
Al Shaibani, Chairman of the Gulf Competitions Committee, yesterday said teams that decide to boycott the event could face fines.
'We confirm that this tournament is the first tournament to be held under the supervision of the newly-formed AGCFF. The rules and regulations have been prepared with the approval of all participating countries, Al Shaibani explained.
As for the date of the announcement of the fixtures, Shaibani said: 'It will be developed and announced in coordination with the LOC and title sponsors.
Al Rumaihi said if only four teams were available to play - in case of pull-outs from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain - a fresh decision would be taken by the AGCFF whether to stage the tournament.
The last edition was won by Qatar after they beat hosts Saudi Arabia in November 2014. It was the third title win for Qatar. The UAE finished in the third spot, followed by Oman in fourth place.
MENAFN2509201700630000ID1095897419
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.