Even for those accustomed to Doha’s chicanery, the recent revelations casting light on the “black ops” bankrolled by Qatar to secure the 2022 Fifa World Cup are shocking.
Leaked emails demonstrate Qatar colluded with a New York-based public relations firm – previously hired by the Assad regime in Syria to generate glowing coverage – to poison bids by its principal competitors, the US and Australia.
Qatar’s suitability as a venue was always questionable. So rather than make a positive case for itself, it decided to put a negative spin on its rivals.
In doing so, Qatar stamped on the spirit of the game, whose beauty and grace the world witnessed in the recently concluded World Cup in Russia.
Even worse, it intervened in the internal affairs of sovereign nations to manipulate public opinion against their own governments.
In the US, for instance, the PR firm allegedly paid an academic to produce a paper denouncing the cost of hosting the World Cup.
A whistleblower told the UK's Sunday Times the company even conscripted a group of physical education teachers to send letters to members of the US Congress protesting the bid. And a document titled "strategy", boasting of the concerted propaganda campaign instigated by the PR firm, was allegedly sent to Ahmed Nimeh, a senior adviser to the Qatar bid.
Qatar, in other words, was purveying fake news to advance its own agenda.
Fifa’s rules call for the “highest standards of ethical behaviour” from bidders and explicitly forbid them from smearing other candidates. Qatar has shown complete contempt for those standards.
A black cloud has been hanging over its bid ever since allegations of corruption and kickbacks first emerged and have continued to do so, even after a Fifa investigation cleared it of wrongdoing. Further, the deaths of an estimated 300 workers on stadium construction sites, coupled with the lengths to which Doha has gone to conceal them, have already cast a dark shadow.
An uplifting World Cup in Russia had restored the faith of football fans in the beautiful game, which had become tarnished by wave after wave of corruption allegations besmirching Fifa's reputation. Those fans deserve better.
A Qatar World Cup in 2022 would not be a celebration of football but a bonfire of the laws and norms that govern it.
Doha should not be rewarded for bringing the game into disrepute. This is a moment to be seized, to show fans their optimism in the beauty and honesty of the game is not misplaced.
With the next tournament four years away, there is time to rectify the damage and choose another host.
England, the birthplace of football, is one of a number of countries which has stated it has the capability and infrastructure to host the competition instead of Qatar.
Lord Triesman, the former chairman of the English bid for the 2018 games, has said it would be perfectly reasonable for Fifa to reconsider its decision.
The ball is now in Fifa’s court. How it acts will determine the future of football.
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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UAE and Russia in numbers
UAE-Russia ties stretch back 48 years
Trade between the UAE and Russia reached Dh12.5 bn in 2018
More than 3,000 Russian companies are registered in the UAE
Around 40,000 Russians live in the UAE
The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase to 12 percent to reach 1.6 million in 2023
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
UAE cricketers abroad
Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.
Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.
Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.
MATCH INFO
AC Milan v Inter, Sunday, 6pm (UAE), match live on BeIN Sports
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TUESDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court
Starting at 2pm:
Elina Svitolina (UKR) [3] v Jennifer Brady (USA)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) v Belinda Bencic (SUI [4]
Not before 7pm:
Sofia Kenin (USA) [5] v Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
Maria Sakkari (GRE) v Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) [7]
Court One
Starting at midday:
Karolina Muchova (CZE) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) v Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR)
Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) v Dayana Yastermska (UKR)
Petra Martic (CRO) [8] v Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) v Anett Kontaveit (EST)
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
UAE WARRIORS RESULTS
Featherweight
Azouz Anwar (EGY) beat Marcelo Pontes (BRA)
TKO round 2
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) beat Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Split points decision
Welterweight
Gimbat Ismailov (RUS) beat Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR)
TKO round 1
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) beat Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Unanimous points decision
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) beat Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
TKO round 1
Catchweight 100kg
Marc Vleiger (NED) beat Mohamed Ali (EGY)
Rear neck choke round 1
Featherweight
James Bishop (NZ) beat Mark Valerio (PHI)
TKO round 2
Welterweight
Abdelghani Saber (EGY) beat Gerson Carvalho (BRA)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) beat Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Unanimous points decision
Bantamweight
Fabio Mello (BRA) beat Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Unanimous points decision
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magomedsultanov (RUS)
TKO round 1
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) beat Jayson Margallo (PHI)
TKO round 3
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) beat Roman Golovinov (UKR)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Submission round 2
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
TKO round 2
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