Source:NepaliTimes
It was back in 2010 when Qatar won the bid to host the 2022 World cup. By doing so, Qatar became the first Arab, Muslim, and Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup ever. Since then, Qatar's treatment of migrant workers has come under scrutiny, and also numerous officials and media outlets have accused Qatar and FIFA of corruption and claimed that the country "bought the World Cup". This article will not talk about the accusations and the struggle that Qatar has gone through during this period, but it will discuss the achievements and the effort that Qatar has done to make the 2022 World cup tournament successful.
Stadiums
The first and most important factor a country that will host such an event needs is infrastructure. Qatar managed to build the following 8 Stadiums in a matter of 12 years. These are the names and characteristics of the 2022 World cup stadiums.
Al Bayt Stadium
Al Bayt Stadium will host thrilling matches all the way up to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022 before welcoming fans to the opening match. Al Khor, a city in the north, is home to this venue with 60,000 seats.
The stadium is modelled after the Bayt, which were tents used by nomadic people in Qatar and all the Arabic peninsula regions in the past. Al Khor is famous for its pearl diving and fishing traditions. Its magnificent tent structure surrounds a cutting-edge football stadium, providing guests with comfort as has been the custom for centuries in this region.
Al Janub
Al Wakrah, a city in the south, will host 40,000 fans at Al Janoub Stadium. It is one of Qatar's oldest areas that has been inhabited continuously since it was first established as a pearl diving and fishing centre.
The stadium's evocative yet boldly futuristic appearance is a tribute to this, and legendary architect Zaha Hadid's thoughtful and visionary approach dramatically reflects the wind-filled sails of traditional dhow boats.
Ahmed Bin Ali
Al Rayyan's Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium is situated in Al Rayyan, one of Qatar's most historic cities. Al Rayyan, which is on the edge of the desert, is well-known for its local customs and culture and the community's dedication to the Al Rayyan Sports Club, a popular football team. During the FIFA World Cup 2022, the team's new arena will accommodate up to 40,000 fans. The seating is designed in a way that makes fans feel closer than ever to the action on the field, and the venue's distinctive façade is surrounded by seating.
Al Thumama Stadium
The size and beauty of Al Thumama Stadium are simply breathtaking. The Gahfiya's symbolism ensures that it will hold a very special place in the hearts of Middle Easterners because it is based on the Gahfiya, a traditional cap worn by both boys and men.
This 40,000-seat stadium, designed by local architect Ibrahim M. Jaidah, will host games all the way up to the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Its unique atmosphere is sure to inspire players and fans alike. It is similar to many new buildings across the country, and it is 12 kilometres south of Doha's iconic West Bay cityscape: while confidently revealing the future, it pays tribute to centuries of culture and tradition.
Education City Stadium
Education City Stadium is located close to some of the best universities in Qatar. The stadium's intricate diamond-like design harmoniously blends striking modernity with traditional Islamic architecture.
Fans and locals alike will always have fond memories of this stadium, which will play host to matches through the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2022 and will continue to be an iconic landmark for the nation and region.
Khalifa International Stadium
As soon as you enter Khalifa International Stadium, you can feel the Qatari community's reverence for it as the spiritual home of football. In preparation for 2022, the venue, which was constructed in 1976, underwent a respectful transformation that preserved its most recognizable features, the dual arches.
A wide canopy was added to the stadium's cooling system below the arches as a sign of change and innovation to keep players' and fans' temperatures in check. Khalifa International Stadium is prepared to host FIFA World Cup 2022 matches, cementing its status as a world-renowned landmark with a promising future.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 final will take place at Lusail Stadium, which is not only the largest stadium in Qatar but also one of the largest in the Arab world. This great 80,000-seat arena will be the focal point of Lusail City - a recently fabricated, cutting-edge city.
The design of the venue pays homage to the fanar lantern and traditional Middle Eastern handcrafted bowls and vessels. It immediately feels familiar while simultaneously breathtakingly futuristic. It is a true representation of Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani's inspirational vision for the country and is situated in the city where he lived in the early 20th century.
The innovative design of stadium 974 honours the port's function as a regional logistical hub. The materials used will make the connection obvious to visitors right away: a structure that promises a one-of-a-kind stadium experience inside and out and is constructed from shipping containers and heavy steel shipyard components.
On the Arabian Gulf's shores, this 40,000-seat stadium will be a distinctive, daringly vibrant, and thoroughly modern venue for FIFA World Cup 2022TM matches up to the quarterfinals.
Cutting Edge Technologies
FIFA announced the formal adoption of Semi-automated Offside at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The technique debuted at the 2021 Arab Cup, and this was a successful preliminary Test spot, then appeared at the 2021 Club World Cup.
Semi-automatic infiltration technology is a more sophisticated version of the VAR system currently applied in various world championships for several years, but it is not just about video technology, because the new World Cup ball, which name is ‘Rihla", plays an important role.
The new ball comes with the latest suspension system from Adidas, with a 500Hz motion sensor from the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), meaning it accurately transfers the ball position on the pitch 500 times per second to the video referee room, all without players feeling any impact on the performance of the ball itself.
In conjunction with this, 12 separate cameras, other than TV cameras, will be added to the stadium to track the location of the ball along with 29 data points on each player's body, at a rate of 50 times per second. These cameras can track players' limbs, arms, legs, and even knee position, and accurately determine where each player is at any moment of the match.
With the collection of player limb and ball location data, AI processes all this data in real-time and automatically warns video referees if there is an infiltrated player. The FIFA International Federation confirms that during the Club World Cup and Arab Cup matches, the new technique helped video referees to make decisions to calculate infiltration more accurately and in a shorter period of time.
Technology has also positively affected stadiums, the Qatar World Cup is expected to offer some of the most advanced and technically developed stadiums. The main aim of the decision to hold the tournament between November and December was to overcome high summer temperatures in Qatar, but there is a good chance that temperatures will be around 24 degrees Celsius, which is difficult for players and audiences from Europe and other countries of the world, who are used to low temperatures.
So, Qatar had to reach a solution to lower stadium temperatures to about 18 degrees Celsius. Dr. Saud Abdul Aziz Abdul Ghani, Professor at the Faculty of Engineering at Qatar University, came up with his new innovative idea for cooling Qatari stadiums, inspired by his thesis for a doctorate at the University on air cooling in the cabin of the Ford Mondeo. This means that all stadiums during the World Cup will have sophisticated air cooling systems so that both players and spectators won’t feel the heat of Qatar.
Another invention, but this time will serve the blind visitors of Qatar is the "Bonocle" platform, which is the first Braille-based entertainment platform. Bonocle has all the technical aids for the visually impaired to enjoy digital content. The platform offers a small in-hand device that acts as a smartphone controller, designed with a Braille cell, 3 buttons, and different sensory spaces, and helps a visually impaired to read, write and even play. The company will offer the possibility of transforming digital content into Braille during the next World Cup so that the visually impaired enjoy following the events of the tournament.
Written By: Abderrahmane Loudiyi
Edited By: Nidhi Jha
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