DOHA: Ever since Qatar won the bidding rights to host the FIFA World Cup 2022 twelve years ago, the country has been leaving no stone unturned to make it a grand success. It is the first time an Arab country will be hosting the quadrennial event after fighting off stiff competition from countries like the USA, Australia among others to clinch the bid.
The country, which will host the quadrennial competition from November 21 across eight venues, is gearing up for the event. One can expect a carnival-like atmosphere at the fan festivals, which will also comprise of music concerts and DJ nights among others. More than 280 music artists are expected to provide an enthralling atmosphere during the four-week long competition.
With the Football World Cup being one of the most popular events in the world, there has been a good demand for tickets from all over the world. Interestingly, there has been a huge interest from India as well. One of the reasons could be the closer proximity between the two countries as well.
“Indian ticket sales have been very strong. India may not be qualified, but Indians seem to love football. If you look back at previous (World Cups), it was held in far places (from India) like Rio. But Qatar is not far away. India’s economy has come a long way in the last 20 years. Everyone now watches football in India, and everyone has a favourite team,” said Qatar Tourism Chief Operating Officer, Berthold Trenkel, who also spoke about the Visa process.
The author was invited to Doha by Qatar Tourism