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Tribune News Network
Doha
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he was impressed by the progress of construction works at the Al Wakra Stadium, which is one of the eight hosting venues of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
Infantino was on a whistle-stop tour of the country on Tuesday, which included a visit to the Al Wakrah Stadium and a helicopter tour of the remaining seven hosting venues. Supreme Committee of Delivery and Legacy (SC) Secretary-General Hassan al Thawadi accompanied the FIFA chief during the visit.
"The Al Wakra Stadium here is absolutely impressive. It is a stadium that speaks to the football fan. When you enter it, you immediately feel how imposing it is," Infantino said.
"Every time I visit (Qatar), I see something new," said the FIFA chief, referring to Qatar's adherence to the football federation's remarks and suggestions on the stadium construction.
"Today, we welcomed FIFA President Gianni Infantino to Al Wakra Stadium, where he was briefed on the progress of the venue, which is due to be completed soon," SC said in a tweet on its official handle on Saturday.
Conceived by some of the world's leading architects, the eight stadiums being constructed in different parts of Qatar are some of the most ambitious and visually-exciting designs.
Al Bayt Stadium Al Khor City, Al Rayyan Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Al Wakra Stadium, Education City Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Lusail Stadium and Ras Abu Aboud Stadium are the eight venues that will host the 32 matches of the FIFA spectacle in 2022.
The 2022 event is set to be the first to take environmental sustainability into consideration during the planning stage. As part of its 'green' initiatives, the Supreme Committee, tasked with delivering the World Cup, has planted the first instalments of grass grown at its ground-breaking Turf Nursery around the Al Bayt Stadium Al Khor City.
More than 350,000 square metres of grass is being transported and transplanted from the nursery to the area surrounding the stadium, a 60,000-capacity semi-final venue, in an intricate process that will conclude in 2019.
