2022 football World Cup on track, says Qatar committee

The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the body tasked with making the preparations and hosting the football World Cup 2022 in Qatar, on Wednesday clarified that it is on course to delivering the results on time despite the changing economic scenario following the fall in crude oil prices.

Supreme Committee Secretary General Hassan Al Thawadi said in a release: "Of course, our budget is assigned by the government. But, we were already working towards reducing our expenses. And this is before the oil prices went down. So when the oil price went down we had already worked out significant steps towards adjusting our budgets.

"And as the oil prices came down we started having discussions with the government and the impact of the slump was as great as people would have assumed."

Thawadi stressed on the point that the SC would keep its promise of hosting a world class World Cup. "Of course, we will keep our promise of hosting the World Cup," he stressed.

Enumerating the new business models towards achieving the goal, he added, "We are working with the government and private sector together. The PPP or the public-private partnership model, we are working on that.

"Various business models are under place, recession models, models that get us the desired result with minimum expenditure - they are being tried," added Thawadi.

Earlier, he spoke about the Supreme Committee's commitment towards sustainability and a greener tomorrow.

To a question that alcohol consumption shoots up during the World Cup and it is common for the host nation to make it available to fans, Thawadi reiterated FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura's statement that the world football governing body will respect the traditions and sentiments of the host nation.

--IANS

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