(ATR) Qatar 2022 chief Hassan Al Thawadi says he does not fear losing the World Cup, as another FIFA ExCo member expressed serious concerns about the Gulf state’s heat issues.
Germany’s FIFA ExCo member Theo Zwanziger told Sport Bild on Monday that he thought the tournament would not take place in Qatar. "Medics say that they cannot accept responsibility with a World Cup taking place under these conditions," he said in comments reported by Reuters.
"They may be able to cool the stadiums but a World Cup does not take place only there," Zwanziger added. "Fans from around the world will be coming and travelling in this heat and the first life-threatening case will trigger an investigation by a state prosecutor. That is not something that FIFA Exco members want to answer for."
Qatar 2022’s bid for a summer World Cup included plans to use air-conditioning technologies for stadiums, training areas and fan zones. But FIFA officials have raised concerns about the desert nation's fierce heat before.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who is behind a push to move the World Cup to winter, and medical committee chairman Michel D'Hooghe are worried about the impact of the heat on players and fans. A FIFA task force is currently examining options to move the World Cup to Jan/Feb or Nov/Dec in 2022, with an announcement due next year.
Zwanziger’s comments coincided with the publication of Die Welt’s interview with Al Thawadi, secretary general of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, on Monday.
Qatar 2022 leader insisted that his country would be ready with the cooling technology to host the event in the sizzling summer months.
"We showed during the public viewing for the 2014 World Cup in Doha that the outdoor cooling technology works. That is a big success. And our system is environmentally-friendly," Al Thawadi said.
"One thing is clear: a World Cup in summer is possible. But if FIFA decides to move it we are also fine with that. We will wait and see."
Qatar is already well advanced with preparations for the tournament. "We are in different stages of design and construction with five stadiums already.There is clear planning with regards to infrastructure – mapping out what has to be finished when," he said. "The timeline has been on schedule for now, so I feel very well when I see where we are right now.
Allegations of corruption have swirled around the Qatar 2022 bid since the nation's improbable victory in December 2010. But all have been strongly denied. FIFA’s top investigator Michael Garcia has produced a 350-page dossier following his 18-month probe into claims of corruption in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding races. His recommendations were passed to FIFA’s ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert two weeks ago.
Asked if he feared losing the World Cup, Al Thawadi said: "No, I do not have any fear. First of all there is no basis to lose it. And secondly it is the first ever World Cup in the Middle East.
"The World Cup is a platform to bring people together. It will leave behind a positive legacy. So yes, I am sure that the World Cup will take place in Qatar."
Commenting on FIFA’s huge corruption report, said to have cost £6 million, Al Thawadi said: "We have fully cooperated with Michael Garcia and were completely transparent. I am convinced that the report will show that we won deservedly."
FIFA told Around the Rings in July that the report would not be made public and Eckert, who spoke at the first World Summit on Ethics in Sport at FIFA’s Zurich HQ on Friday, confirmed that would be the case.
According to Reuters, Eckert said his work would be finished by the end of October or early November but Garcia would then carry out additional work. He said: "There will be some decisions, maybe in spring, and then we will go on."
Eckert also ruled out a revote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and confirmed that he had no powers to strip either Russia or Qatar of hosting rights.
Reported byMark Bisson.
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