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Ikoli Victor
Doha
The launch of the Lusail Stadium’s (venue for the opening and closing ceremony of 2022 World Cup) design on Saturday has been described as a significant milestone by Hassan al Thawadi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.
The 80, 000 capacity stadium has been designed by British firm Foster + Partners and embodies Qatar’s ambition and its passion for sharing Arab culture with the world.
The elaborate ceremony was attended by the Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani and other dignitaries, including the United Nations’ Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President of Ecuador Lenin Boltaire Moreno Garces.
Speaking to the media in a fan zone arranged area, Thawadi said: “Every milestone for us is always important, the announcement of the design of the stadium is very important because it is the last stadium.
“Having the honour of HH the Amir attending the launch in itself is absolutely fantastic with the UN Secretary-General, President of Ecuador and such high-level delegation attending the event is a moment of pride.”
Soaking in the atmosphere at the unveiling ceremony was Hassan al Haydos, the captain of Qatar’s national football team, who expressed his delight and said it will be a dream to be part of the historical team that will represent Qatar at the World Cup on home soil.
“Looking at the stadium design, I am really happy and proud that my country will host the World Cup. I am confident we would host one of the best World Cup ever,” said Haydos.
On the challenge Qatar as a football face at the tournament, he said, “As a team, I don’t think we would be under pressure; we would represent our country well. It is a dream come true for us as players. For me, it will be a big challenge to continue as captain until 2022, but as I said it will be dream come true,” the Al Sadd midfielder added.
Spanish legend Xavi Hernandez, now SC Ambassador, said: “I am the ambassador of Supreme Committee and I think they are ready. Qatar national team and country both are ready. You can see such amazing stadiums. Everybody is surprised by the way Qatar is organising everything.”
Dutch legend and beIN Sports pundit Ruud Gullit, who was also present on the occasion, said, “This World Cup will be the best ever for the simple reasons: You do not need to travel a lot; You can go to any stadium within 20 minutes; You can see two or three games a day if you want to. The temperature will be like 24 degrees and it will be a great opportunity for the fans to see more games especially for us as journalists.”
Another Dutch star Ronald De Boer, who concluded his club career in Qatar before taking a job with the U-23 team, said the weather conditions will be perfect for the World Cup in 2022.
“My thoughts are only positive. I have lived here for seven years and I know a bit of the Arab world. They and the surrounding countries love football, and it is an opportunity to show the world what they are capable of. I think it is very important considering the ongoing misunderstanding in the region.
“I don’t see any problem with the weather. Right now outside it is 18-25 degrees (Celsius), which is perfect for playing football. So I am not worried about it. The most beautiful thing is, it is so compact. You can see three games in one day. The most important thing is that you can feel that there is a World Cup going on,” the Dutch great added.
Doha
The launch of the Lusail Stadium’s (venue for the opening and closing ceremony of 2022 World Cup) design on Saturday has been described as a significant milestone by Hassan al Thawadi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.
The 80, 000 capacity stadium has been designed by British firm Foster + Partners and embodies Qatar’s ambition and its passion for sharing Arab culture with the world.
The elaborate ceremony was attended by the Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani and other dignitaries, including the United Nations’ Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President of Ecuador Lenin Boltaire Moreno Garces.
Speaking to the media in a fan zone arranged area, Thawadi said: “Every milestone for us is always important, the announcement of the design of the stadium is very important because it is the last stadium.
“Having the honour of HH the Amir attending the launch in itself is absolutely fantastic with the UN Secretary-General, President of Ecuador and such high-level delegation attending the event is a moment of pride.”
Soaking in the atmosphere at the unveiling ceremony was Hassan al Haydos, the captain of Qatar’s national football team, who expressed his delight and said it will be a dream to be part of the historical team that will represent Qatar at the World Cup on home soil.
“Looking at the stadium design, I am really happy and proud that my country will host the World Cup. I am confident we would host one of the best World Cup ever,” said Haydos.
On the challenge Qatar as a football face at the tournament, he said, “As a team, I don’t think we would be under pressure; we would represent our country well. It is a dream come true for us as players. For me, it will be a big challenge to continue as captain until 2022, but as I said it will be dream come true,” the Al Sadd midfielder added.
Spanish legend Xavi Hernandez, now SC Ambassador, said: “I am the ambassador of Supreme Committee and I think they are ready. Qatar national team and country both are ready. You can see such amazing stadiums. Everybody is surprised by the way Qatar is organising everything.”
Dutch legend and beIN Sports pundit Ruud Gullit, who was also present on the occasion, said, “This World Cup will be the best ever for the simple reasons: You do not need to travel a lot; You can go to any stadium within 20 minutes; You can see two or three games a day if you want to. The temperature will be like 24 degrees and it will be a great opportunity for the fans to see more games especially for us as journalists.”
Another Dutch star Ronald De Boer, who concluded his club career in Qatar before taking a job with the U-23 team, said the weather conditions will be perfect for the World Cup in 2022.
“My thoughts are only positive. I have lived here for seven years and I know a bit of the Arab world. They and the surrounding countries love football, and it is an opportunity to show the world what they are capable of. I think it is very important considering the ongoing misunderstanding in the region.
“I don’t see any problem with the weather. Right now outside it is 18-25 degrees (Celsius), which is perfect for playing football. So I am not worried about it. The most beautiful thing is, it is so compact. You can see three games in one day. The most important thing is that you can feel that there is a World Cup going on,” the Dutch great added.
