Despite the heat, Qatar should host the World Cup
What you need to know:
- The Qatar teams were tasked with coming up with stadium designs that ensured comfortable environments for both players at the 12 Qatar World Cup venues (nine new stadiums now being constructed, with three current ones to be expanded) and 32 training venues, as well as for the crowds of fans who will be at the matches.
Qatar doesn’t have the labour to build their cities and run their services, security and oil systems. They have relied on teams of imported labour from other countries to build their skyscrapers, infrastructure and stadiums. That began before and will continue long after the World Cup has ended.
The 2014 World Cup started this week in Brazil with some early exciting matches. But away from the soccer pitches, there is as a bit of debate about whether the State of Qatar should host the 2022 World Cup which they awarded back in 2010.
Allegations have surfaced about the influencing of FIFA Executive Committee members who voted on this decision, the temperature of Qatar as being unsuitable for soccer, the completion of stadiums, the labour conditions of workers, the unavailability of alcohol for soccer fans, among others – but the major contention is on the temperature in the Middle East during June and July, when the tournament traditionally takes place.
Two years ago I was fortunate to be on a trip to Qatar for organizers of TEDx Summits around the world. It also turned out to be a showcase of Qatar as a destination for tourism and large events. At our summit we got to hear presentations from Sheikha Khalifa Al-Thani, the Ruler’s daughter who has championed the Doha arts scene, and scientists working to convert natural gas into water by recycling seawater. We also got a preview of the stadiums planned for the 2022 World Cup
One of the speakers was an engineer with a German firm in a consortium that was designing the soccer stadiums to be used in ten years time, at the 2022 World Cup. They planned, and were on their way to constructing, open-air stadiums that were completely powered and cooled by solar power in line with the concept of 100 per cent solar cooling that was demonstrated to the FIFA selection committee.
The consortium teams had studied heat and humidity patterns at past sports events in Beijing, China, Spain, and even Australia, where there the annual tennis major championship is played in 40-degree weather.
The Qatar teams were tasked with coming up with stadium designs that ensured comfortable environments for both players at the 12 Qatar World Cup venues (nine new stadiums now being constructed, with three current ones to be expanded) and 32 training venues, as well as for the crowds of fans who will be at the matches.
Some of these may involve field cooling with water pipes to create a 12-foot high cool zone from under the pitch which will insulate players from the heat that averages highs of 42 degrees and lows of 30 degrees in the months of June and July.
LABOUR CONDITIONS
For the crowds, they are designing the stadiums around shading and wind patterns and will circulate dry air instead of chilled air to create a create an outdoor environment that is more comfortable than the chilled shopping malls in the Middle East.
At the ongoing World Cup in Brazil, some teams like England have complained about the heat and humidity in Brazil. So for the first time, FIFA has allowed cooling breaks of three minutes per half if game officials determine the pre-match temperature to be over 32 degrees.
Qatar has also faced some allegations about labour conditions at stadium construction sites. The Emirate states and Qatar are tiny nations that have small populations. With 1 million inhabitants, Qatar doesn’t have the labour to build their cities and run their services, security and oil systems. They have relied on teams of imported labour from other countries to build their skyscrapers, infrastructure and stadiums. That began before and will continue long after the World Cup has ended.
Temperatures are high in the Middle East, but the tiny nations in the region continue to attract and stage world class events such as some Indian Premier League matches this year, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Dubai Rugby Sevens, Athletics Diamond League, and the Asian Soccer Federation Cup, which Qatar has hosted twice.
So even as the focus remains on Qatar temperatures, expect the real heat to shift back to FIFA after the 2014 World Cup, when various groups will seek to use Qatar’s selection to sort out their FIFA issues.
Sepp Blatter has been in charge for 16 years during which the World Cup has been commercially successful, but during which FIFA has been embroiled into controversies that have eclipsed all his deputies, but have left him unscathed.
He also appears to have opted to run for a fifth term after 2015, repudiating a previous promise to step down when his current terms ends.
Regardless of the outcome of all inquiries around the decision made by the FIFA Executive Committee that selects the tournament venues and the future of Blatter himself, Qatar should host the World Cup in 2022.
Twitter: @bankelele
