Only a few days left for the much-anticipated football World Cup to kick start in Qatar. It has been a wonderful journey of over a decade of meticulous planning, hard work, and dedication, and now we are all set to witness and partake in the biggest sporting marvel in the world. Qatar is decked up to welcome the teams and over a million fans from all over the world. There are many entertainment events lined up, fan zones set up, and even free transport arranged for every visitor to make their stay in the country a memorable one.
This edition of the World Cup is special in many ways and most importantly the tournament that is considered the epitome of football excellence is coming to the Middle East for the first time. It is a proud moment for Qatar as it will be the first Arab nation to host the World Cup. All countries in the region and a majority of nations are strongly supporting Qatar and are standing in solidarity with Doha to stage an exceptional event that will be a benchmark for future tournaments.
But unfortunately, few countries and organizations have been making critical comments about Qatar hosting the world cup based on misinformation and ulterior motives, which are beyond rational thoughts and baffles football fans. Everyone should welcome the fact that football is travelling to new horizons and thus giving people in the region a chance to witness top players vying for the ultimate glory, this will also allow visiting fans to discover and understand more about the region through the beautiful game of football.
Speaking to SKY News recently Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani said that people “cannot accept a small country from the Middle East” hosting the World Cup.
“What about their own problems within their countries, which they are turning a blind eye? Honestly, not me or the Qatari people only, but there’s a lot of people from around the world who are just seeing this as a sense of arrogance. A sense of people who cannot accept a small country from the Middle East has won the bid to host the World Cup,” he said in the interview.
The critics are looking at Qatar through the prism of their tainted glasses. Not ready to accept the reality that Qatar has introduced many reforms and has benefitted many. This was vouched for by many international bodies including the ILO.
Let’s move ahead of political pettiness and celebrate the beautiful game of football.
