Qatar World Cup 2022 Planners Respond to Critics

Qatar's Minister of Sport, Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali, responded to a number of criticisms of his nation and how it is handling preparations for the 2022 World Cup in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press on Monday.     

Hassan Al Thawadi, the 2022 World Cup Supreme Committee secretary general, emphasised FIFA never even mentioned the possibility of stripping the nation from the tournament, while agreeing a winter tournament would represent the perfect solution to the difficulty of playing in Qatar's harsh summer season.

John Leicester/Associated Press

John Leicester and Rob Harris of The Associated Press shared the minister's comments on a wide array of topics, including labour conditions, allegations Qatar supports terror groups and his belief future World Cups will have a hard time trumping the example his nation will set.

The harsh conditions in which migrant workers have been forced to build the infrastructure needed for the event have seen the bulk of international criticism, and unlike in the past, the minister was more than willing to discuss the topic. Even more noteworthy was his promise the situation will be dealt with:

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The minister said his own father worked as a 12-year-old laborer in the oil industry in 'very hard conditions' that today 'would be like child abuse.'

'We understand this problem. For us, it's a human question,' he said. Qataris aren't 'vicious people who are like vampires,' he added. 'We have emotions, we feel bad.'

[...]'We are under focus now which, OK, it's tough,' al-Ali said. 'It is something that really needs big, big work from us. But we are really tackling this problem face-to-face. We are not hiding.'

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Suggestions the Gulf nation may be supporting terror groups currently ravaging the Middle East were quickly dispelled, with the minister citing the example of Afghanistan as to why no government would take such a risk:

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This is ridiculous. If you support any terrorist group it will not bring you any good. It is only going to haunt you one day.

So we don't believe in that, we don't do that. We are not ready anyway to take that risk because we know it's dangerous for us.

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Qatar as a nation has a strict policy as far as the sale of alcohol goes, whereas homosexuality is completely illegal. When asked how the government plans to work around these two issues, he stated all of FIFA's rules will be respected, without losing the traditional values of the nation:

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In the hotels and many areas we have alcohol but we have also our own system that people need to respect. As we bid for 2022, we will respect all the rules and regulations by FIFA. We can study this and minimize the impact on our people and tradition. I think we can be creative, finding solutions for all of this. But we respect all the rules and regulations.

[on LGBT rights] It's exactly like the alcohol question. Qatar doesn't want to create this impression, illusion that we don't care about our tradition and our ethical values ... We are studying all these issues. We can adapt, we can be creative to have people coming and enjoying the games without losing the essence of our culture and respecting the preference of the people coming here. I think there is a lot we can do.

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Finally, the minister expressed his belief the oil-rich state will produce a tournament that "will be almost impossible to beat," as Qatar aims to shock the world with a World Cup unlike any other.

Al Thawadi told the AP duo FIFA never once broached the subject of potentially moving the 2022 World Cup, adding such a decision wouldn't sit well with the region, either:

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It's definitely never been raised (by FIFA). That matter has never even been implied.

I don't think it would go down very well. This is the first Arab World Cup. This is the first World Cup in the Middle East. This is the opportunity for a region that is passionate about the game.

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He also added his committee is in favour of a tournament in November, pointing out a tournament in April or May would be too close to the Muslim tradition of Ramadan fasting.