Qatar’s emir expressed his gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his help in organizing the 2022 World Cup. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Putin met in Astana, Kazakhstan on Thursday.
The emission of thanks comes at a curious moment. The 2022 World Cup starts in about five weeks and controversy is imbued within the tournament. For example, Denmark launched its World Cup kits with a clear message against human rights violations in Qatar.
Of course, the fact that it is Russia is also a bad image for Qatar. The Russian invasion of Ukraine alone led to more than 6,000 civilian deaths, according to the UN. In the world of sports, Russian clubs and national teams faced sanctions and suspensions from competition. That includes the suspension of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.
Regardless, the Qatari emir said he is “proud” of his relationship with Putin in preparations for the tournament. He alluded to the 2018 World Cup, which was hosted by Russia.
“Russia had great success in organizing the 2018 World Cup,” the emir said. “Russian friends have given great support to Qatar, especially in terms of organization, with the organizing committee for the 2022 World Cup.”
Putin seconded the relationship and added his confidence in the success of organizing the World Cup in Qatar.
“[We are] doing everything possible in terms of transferring the experience of preparing for the World Cup.”
Qatar thanks Putin ahead of World Cup
The thing is, there was never a specific explanation of how Russia is ‘transferring’ that experience of hosting the World Cup to Qatar. The Guardian mentioned that one area of similarity is the need for fans to have an ID card. World Cup attendees in Qatar are required to have a Hayya card, which has personal information, vaccination status, tickets and more.
This is the first World Cup in the Middle East. Therefore, it is something that is not familiar to the international world.
The very nature of the World Cup in the Middle East draws the ire of fans. The difference in culture and religion makes this World Cup different from any other. Concerns about acceptance, Western civilization fan culture, alcohol and other facets of soccer culture permeate the entire tournament.
To top it off, Qatar’s accommodation and stadium construction draws criticism from around the world.
Linking the competition to Russia seems like a way to create more bad publicity for the country. Bosnia and Herzegovina scheduled a friendly with Russia, and even that provoked backlash from the Bosnian players.
The World Cup begins with Qatar kicking off the tournament. The hosts face Ecuador on Sunday, November 20 from the Al Bayt Stadium.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Russian look
