AFC chief against Qatar hosting 2022 World Cup jointly with other Gulf nations
By ANISaturday, January 15, 2011
LONDON - Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Mohamed Bin Hammam, who could succeed FIFA President Sepp Blatter in May, has countered suggestions that matches of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar should be shared around the Gulf.
Doha-born Hammam also rounded on suggestions from Europe that the competition should be moved from summer to winter to avoid extreme desert temperatures.
“I believe Qatar can stand alone and organize the competition by itself,” Sky News quoted Hammam, as saying.
“And I’m really not very impressed by these opinions to distribute the game over the Gulf or change the time from July to January - it’s actually premature, you know, it’s people’s opinions and they’re just discussing it on no basis or no ground,” he added.
Concerns have been expressed around the ability of tiny Qatar to host such a mammoth sporting event, particularly during its summer when temperatures can reach 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). (ANI)
