Qatar's World Cup Bid is Something Out of Star Trek
by Dave Clark on May 3, 2010 8:48 PM PDT
in US National Team, World Cup and Other International Soccer
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This is not hyperbole. If Gene Rodenberry were to have a background image of a sports stadium it would generate its own power; it would be wrapped in a mediatronic skin; it would be climate controlled; it would be directly connected to mass transit. It would not just be a palace for the game, it would be a palace for the hosting city/nation.
That's what Qatar wants to do for the World Cup.
They are quite serious. This bid for Qatar, and their bid for an Olympics Game that eventually fell short, is part of the Gulf State's desire to be seen as more than just an oil state, but something more. That more goes beyond sports, but does use sports to get recognition.
It is a small nation (1.4M people) with an enourmous per capita income (83k US$ per). It should not be in the running to host a World Cup Their national team isn't very good, and their national league is two good teams, and a bunch of also rans. But they are a nation, that represents a region, with aspirations that go far beyond their current stature.The Arab Gulf States have an emerging green business sector, and Dubai is quite famous globally for its opulance.
This is not a bid for a single nation, but a bid that has managed to gain pan-Arab support and in some ways is being seen as a symbol of a block of over 400M people in an economic block much more powerful than Brazil or SubSaharan Africa.
It is also a bid that should never be considered on the nation bidding's merits.
So they are going big. With dynamic and bold ideas that the USA, UK and Russia can not match in this current climate. None of those nations would build stadiums that seperate like Voltron and become two smaller stadia. In America we can not have 8 stadiums out of Avatar 2. Russia can't build stadiums that are carbon neutral. The UK can't start from scratch when they already have dozens of stadia that qualify.
Qatar can.
It is the bid of the idealist and the dreamer. An idealist and dreamer with some amazing ideas.
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their national league is two good teams, and a bunch of also rans
Scotland? Spain? A case could be made for a number of other leagues.
by Christopher Kemp on May 3, 2010 9:01 PM PDT reply actions
The disparity in Qatar is even greater
The 2nd team rarely does well in the AFC Champions League, which is probably the fourth best regional competition in the world (after UEFA CL, Copa Libertadores and Europa League) and the 3rd team doesn’t yet qualify.
Ghaffara and Sadd are the best sides, and have been for ages. There is not a second tier.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
You chose spain as an example of this?
Sevilla, Barca, Madrid, Atletico?
We get La Liga on ESPN, and you are comparing it to the national league of Qatar?
Go! Huskies!
Stumbling Blocks
All 8 stadiums would be in a very tight area with really at most 3 airports nearby (and one of those in Bahrain).
There is a very low native population which would hurt ticket sales to the host nation
They are Arab and Muslim in a time when that is not generally perceived as a good thing; though this is also an advantage to the bid.
They have even loss soccer history than the USA or Japan did when they hosted
No beer
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
I would also think
Summer in the gulf….what would the temperatures be for open air tournaments? This isn’t like the Olympics where they can just shift it to a September or October start time to avoid the worst heat of the area.
Were they the ones
with the pitch-cooling system? I heard about it somewhere…
Yes, climate control for the entire stadium
So summer isn’t a problem
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
For FANS
but does FIFA care?
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
I bet they'd see that as a big concern
on top of the fact that Qatar has a low population and is in a less than ideal part of the world.
by chrisperry1983 on May 4, 2010 12:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes, I mentioned low population
As for being in a less than ideal part of the world, have you seen the murder rates in South Africa and Brasil
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
While maybe a less than "ideal" part of the world...
As far as the Middle East is concerned, Qatar is actually located in a decent spot geographically. The only country it is connected to is Saudia Arabia, with the next closest country being United Arab Emirates. Iran is across the Persian Gulf to the North and that’s about it. Since it does jut out into the Persian Gulf. So relatively speaking for being in the Middle East, its location is actually alright.
And as stated above, murder rates in South Africa and especially Brazil are probably even more “less ideal” than Qatar.
by SounderEvertonRomaFan on May 4, 2010 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions
They wouldn't have too.
The stadiums would certainly sell beer.
I wish we had the money to build stadiums like that.
Those are some amazing designs, but I can’t get over the feeling that we paid for them.
SUV’s with 40 gallon tanks for the win in the gulf. Amazing buildings built by our importing of oil.
Plus, there's enough sun
they could all be solar.
Sorry, Dave,
Can you explain this sentence?
It is also a bid that should ever be considered on the nation bidding’s merits.
That was my first guess.
So you’re saying “Award to the region, not to the nation”?
Small population for ticket sales—How is the border? Would neighbors be able to easily attend? If it is indeed a bid given to the Arab world more than to Qatar, will neighboring citizens be motivated to attend?
There have been few unifying moments of Arab nationalism
and I don’t know that soccer could be one of those. How many non-Qatari Arabs went to see AC Milan in Doha?
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
It would certainly be a unifying event on the Arabian Penninsula.
Beyond that I’m not so sure.
AC Milan were too small time to offer a good comparison anyway.
I would think
This is almost DOA unless they promise to relax some of the social-setting laws like no alcohol. I just can’t imagine FIFA inviting the world to a party where the supporters are faced with a very real threat of arrest for doing things that are perfectly acceptable in the home countries of 85-95 percent of the people attending. Maybe I’m overstating the restrictive nature of the laws there, but I get the sense this is a huge obstacle, maybe the biggest.
Because if it's not Love | Then it's the bomb ... | That will bring us together
Wasn't there some coverage last time
about the astronomical number of hookers they brought in for World Cup 2006. Can’t see that flying in Qatar.
yes
no doubt those are beautiful stadia but many laws would have to suspended and id think that causes a whole other concern
Because if it's not Love | Then it's the bomb ... | That will bring us together
by Jeremiah Oshan on May 4, 2010 9:43 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I see the problems, but I don't care
If Qatar gets the bid, I am going to start saving that very day to take my (future) kids to that world cup. It looks amazing.
Well, I'm in Doha right now
I just got a can of Carlsberg and tiny 5 cl bottle of Dewars White Label served room service…..for just over 20 bucks!!
Anyway, I think laws would be adjusted so that foreigners can drink all they want. That’s pretty much the case here now for foreigners, though they aren’t roaming the streets in 100s of thousands like they would be during the World Cup.
Though I suppose in the June heat people probably wouldn’t be roaming much anyway.
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