Gulf States Defend Qatar 2022 World Cup
The UAE’s and Qatar’s official news agencies said Gulf information ministers call Qatar’s winning of the hosting rights “a success for all the states of the GCC
Gulf Arab countries have offered support for Qatar as host of the 2022 World Cup as criticism grows over the choice of the desert nation as the venue for world soccer’s top event.
Swiss and US authorities are investigating both Russia and Qatar’s successful campaigns to stage the Ys 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, has said the countries coould be stripped of the cup if evidence emerges of bribery in the bidding. Qatar denies any corruption was involved.
The decision to hold the tournament in Qatar was already controversial because of its extreme Summer heat, which caused FIFA to move it to Winter, causing domestic leagues to change their schedules.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) state news agency WAM and the Qatari state news agency QNA said Gulf information ministers call Qatar’s winning of the hosting rights “a success for all the states of the GCC”.
“The information ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council renewed their call to confront through the media anyone who seeks to question the eligibility of the State of Qatar to organize the 2022 World Cup,” WAM and QNA said in identical reports.
US prosecutors stunned international soccer last month by indicting 14 senior administrators and business figures, including FIFA officials, over alleged bribery and corruption in the sport. The scandal turned the spotlight again on the Qatar bid.
Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiyah said that criticism of his country was due to prejudice and racist.
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