Khalid Tawalbeh
Doha
The Arab world’s first-ever FIFA World Cup is creating a wave of excitement among Jordanians, who expect the host country, Qatar, to do a stellar job of organising a memorable edition to not just the region but to the whole world.
Jordanians the Qatar Tribune spoke to have expressed optimism in Qatar’s ability to host a world-class tournament.
Jordanian sports figures, who described the World Cup stadiums in Qatar as unparalleled to those anywhere in the world, anticipate Qatar 2022 to be brilliant in its organisation and execution.
They expressed confidence in Qatar’s capabilities to host the tournament. According to them, a successful organisation of the World Cup will add to the country’s honour and will be an inspiration for many.
Omar Al Azzam, director of media and communication and media spokesman for the Jordanian Ministry of Youth, stressed that through the successful organization of major tournaments, Qatar has proved its readiness to host the World Cup.
He pointed out that the championship competitions that had taken place in Qatar witnessed huge turnouts, and it surprised everyone.
“We are proud of the successful organization of a major sports tournament that will bring together football fans from around the world, and embody the influence of football in bringing people closer together and promoting solidarity values and noble human meanings,” he added.
For his part, Jordanian national coach and former national team player Othman Al Hassanat welcomed Qatar’s preparations to host the World Cup.
He stressed that Qatar has succeeded in delivering its important message that this event is for all Arabs and not just for Qatar, and that all countries in the region will be on a date with a historic and exceptional event during the coming November and December.
“The tremendous efforts made by Qatar over the past years have become the focus of everyone’s attention, and all countries of the world have come to trust in Qatar’s ability to present the best version in the history of the World Cup finals,” Al Hassanat said.
He concluded by saying, “I am very pleased with Qatar’s great steps towards organizing an event that no country has organized before, especially after the establishment of a set of wonderful sports stadiums, the modern technology used, smooth navigation plans during the tournament.
“After the latest Qatari preparations to host the World Cup finals, which we are all following with pride, we made sure that Qatar will provide a sports gift worthy of all the countries of the region”.
Nassar Al Heesa, a member of the Jordanian parliament, said, “As a Jordanian and an Arab, I am full of pride that an Arab country is hosting the major international event, the World Cup.
“I am very proud of the development and modernization Qatar has achieved in its sports field, as this event will reflect the respect of Arab peoples for diverse cultures, and this great event will transfer the attention of the world as a whole to the Arab world, and I am sure that this event will impress the whole world and all the best for the State of Qatar, and I wish our Arab teams success and being able to compete.”
Lawyer and human rights activist Tahani Al Fuqaha said, “The indicators bode well for a distinguished event in Qatar, especially in light of the preparations that revealed the enormous potential enjoyed by the State of Qatar and all these legal amendments in favor of work and workers, which Qatar preceded many countries in the region.
“Through my sports follow-up, the technical forecasts indicate strong teams that have come to compete for the title, which suggests the possibility of following exciting matches, with the participation of elite football stars in the world.
“My constant and careful follow-up of the details of preparations related especially in this edition made me more optimistic about a special organization that may be the most beautiful in the history of the World Cup.”
Fuqaha said Qatar’s preparations to host large numbers of fans, the allocation of special ships at sea to accommodate a large number of them and the equipping of infrastructure befitting the State of Qatar and befitting the World Cup, is a success in itself.
“What distinguishes the Qatar World Cup is that it allows the fan to attend more than one match a day, due to the close distance between the stadiums where the matches will be held, which gives the World Cup more fun and enthusiasm in stadiums and streets,” she stressed.
Writer and journalist Jamal Al Bawareed said, “Qatar has been ready for a long time to host the World Cup, which was confirmed by Doha’s hosting of the Arab Cup last year, which served as a “rehearsal” for this edition, as the Arab Cup tournament came elegant and organized.”
Bawareed highlighted that he does not doubt the ability of the Qatar World Cup to surpass the previous World Cups, stating, “What we hope is that the Arab teams participating in the tournament will succeed in achieving good results.”
He pointed out that there is unprecedented enthusiasm in the local sports street to follow the Qatar World Cup.
Social activist Fares Samarat commented, “Sport is able to bring everyone together, the wonderful sports spirit shown by the audience in the previous Arab Cup has increased the love of Arabs for Arabs, other than the enormous technical benefit. Qatar has done well in the organization stage, and we are looking forward to the World Cup.
“I have visited Qatar a lot and was very impressed with the stadiums prepared for the World Cup, especially the large cooling network, which is an exceptional addition and I think we will see a version that surpasses the past versions impressively.”
