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The Peninsula
Doha: Three months after the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), Hassan Al Thawadi, has stressed that the tournament was a platform to showcase the Arab culture and hospitality and has helped dismiss stereotypes about the region. Al Thawadi added that there was a sense of pride and ownership from the Arab diaspora and the Arab world towards the tournament.
Al Thawadi, while speaking in a conversation yesterday with Kevin Baron, Executive Editor of Defense One, during the 5th Global Security Forum (GSF) which concluded yesterday, said besides being a pride of the Arab world, the tournament also celebrated the Global South and an Arab nation's ability to host a tournament at the highest level, again, executing operational excellence at the highest level, and doing it safely and securely.
“I think 96% of the people we've interviewed wanted to return to Qatar and the region. It dispelled many of the stereotypes and concerns people had before coming,” Al Thawadi said.
“With the celebration and the fact that the Arab world was able to come together and showcase the best in us, a sense of hospitality, celebration, and festivities, I think it broke down a lot of stereotypes, and in particular, I think it was much more a celebration of the Global South. It was probably the most inclusive tournament today.
“if you look at the attendance in the stadiums for the African nations, they had a solid representation. People from Senegal, Ghana, and Cameroon supported their teams in the stadium. In terms of the Arab teams, which we had four, all four teams when they played seemed like they were playing on home ground,” the SC chief said.
Meanwhile, Thawadi said Qatar had gained immeasurable experience from organizing the World Cup, which the country will build upon as many sporting and international events are hosted. Qatar is not new to major events, having held several before the World Cup, with many more marked for the coming years, including the Asian Cup next year and the Asian Games in 2030, Formula One and many more.
“We've gained experience in terms of hosting the most successful tournament, welcoming 1.4 million guests into Qatar, and managing probably one of the most ambitious volunteer programmes. The experiences wasn't just Qataris; it was people that made Qatar their home and people that have come from the outside. There's a wealth of knowledge and of experience that we're looking definitely to build upon, and we're working towards that.”