Qatar wants to set an example with World Cup

HE Sheikh Mohamed: says Qatar’s World Cup facilities will be ready for competition by 2021.By Anil John/Sports EditorQatar 2022 Supreme Committee managing director HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani threw an open invitation to the media to see for themselves the measures Qatar was taking to address concerns about the condition of workers in Qatar.Sheikh Mohamed, who was also the chief of Qatar’s bid-winning team, said authorities were making every effort to ensure that workers were treated with respect.“We are taking full advantage of the World Cup to bring about changes so that we can be an example to other nations hosting similar events,” Sheikh Mohamed said, adding it had become the norm to criticise countries hosting big events.“When the US hosted the World Cup (1994) critics claimed the country had no football history and when the event was held in South Africa (2010) there was a lot of talk about the high crime rate there,” Sheikh Mohamed said.He said Qatar was not making changes just for the sake of the World Cup.“The fact is Qatar existed for long before 2010 (when Qatar won the bid) and our commitment to improve the living standards of the workers won’t go away after the World Cup in 2022. Both governmental and non-governmental agencies are working hard to ensure that workers are treated well.” Sheikh Mohamed stressed that ultimately Qatar was accountable to itself.“We hold ourselves accountable as to what kind of country we want to live in,” he said when asked pointedly if Qatar would demonstrate to the world the seriousness of its commitment to bring those responsible for the ill-treatment of workers to book.Sheikh Mohamed added that Qatar’s World Cup facilities would be ready for competition by 2021.“The designing part of six stadiums has been completed and we would be ready to host the Confederations Cup in 2021 with all facilities ready.”