Blatter rates Qatar chances
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 12:28 am
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has thrown doubt over Australia's bid for the 2022 World Cup by saying rival Qatar could well become the tournament's first host from the Arab world.
In Doha to attend a domestic club cup final, Blatter said he was impressed by Qatar's rapid rise as a major sporting destination in the region and the fact that the gas-rich country had dramatically improved its infrastructure in the past few years.
"The Arab world deserves the World Cup and Qatar has a good chance to become the first country from the region to host it," Blatter told a news conference.
Blatter said he was impressed by all the new development in Qatar, which is bidding to host the 2022 World Cup alongside Australia, Japan, United States, England, Russia and joint proposals from Spain and Portugal, and Belgium and the Netherlands.
"I'm a regular visitor to Qatar and every time I land here I am impressed by all the development," he added.
Qatar successfully hosted the Asian Games in 2006 and will stage the 2011 Asian Cup and Blatter said it proved it had the credentials to hold any tournament.
"The Asian Games is a big event in which men and women compete in 30 different sports and the fact that Qatar hosted it successfully means its organisational abilities cannot be questioned," he said.
He said that Qatar's low world ranking will not be an issue when it comes to the FIFA executive committee vote to decide the host for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in December this year.
"A country's ranking in world football is of no consequence in the bidding process," said Blatter.
"What matters are the guarantees the bidding country has to offer and on that count I have no doubt that Qatar will put on the table all that is needed to host the event."
Blatter also played down his spats with Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohamed bin Hammam.
"Mohamed and I have a healthy respect for each other," he claimed. "I will be meeting him during the Heir Apparent's Cup final and sitting on the same bench."
However, the FIFA chief said his first task was to deliver a successful World Cup in South Africa.
"The World Cup in South Africa is my World Cup. I wanted the World Cup to go to Africa and I have to see it through. The international media, especially in Europe, are watching me."
In Doha to attend a domestic club cup final, Blatter said he was impressed by Qatar's rapid rise as a major sporting destination in the region and the fact that the gas-rich country had dramatically improved its infrastructure in the past few years.
"The Arab world deserves the World Cup and Qatar has a good chance to become the first country from the region to host it," Blatter told a news conference.
Blatter said he was impressed by all the new development in Qatar, which is bidding to host the 2022 World Cup alongside Australia, Japan, United States, England, Russia and joint proposals from Spain and Portugal, and Belgium and the Netherlands.
"I'm a regular visitor to Qatar and every time I land here I am impressed by all the development," he added.
Qatar successfully hosted the Asian Games in 2006 and will stage the 2011 Asian Cup and Blatter said it proved it had the credentials to hold any tournament.
"The Asian Games is a big event in which men and women compete in 30 different sports and the fact that Qatar hosted it successfully means its organisational abilities cannot be questioned," he said.
He said that Qatar's low world ranking will not be an issue when it comes to the FIFA executive committee vote to decide the host for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in December this year.
"A country's ranking in world football is of no consequence in the bidding process," said Blatter.
"What matters are the guarantees the bidding country has to offer and on that count I have no doubt that Qatar will put on the table all that is needed to host the event."
Blatter also played down his spats with Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohamed bin Hammam.
"Mohamed and I have a healthy respect for each other," he claimed. "I will be meeting him during the Heir Apparent's Cup final and sitting on the same bench."
However, the FIFA chief said his first task was to deliver a successful World Cup in South Africa.
"The World Cup in South Africa is my World Cup. I wanted the World Cup to go to Africa and I have to see it through. The international media, especially in Europe, are watching me."
