The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has confirmed that the size of the host nation is a factor in the decision to consider reducing the number of host venues to as few as eight.
“The process of selecting the final proposed line-up of host venues is ongoing in consultation with FIFA,” the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy said in a statement.
“Given the size of our country, FIFA and the Local Organising Committee decided to look into reducing the originally proposed 12 venues to fit the country’s specifications while ensuring best playing conditions for all 64 matches. ”
The statement reiterated the fact that eight is the minimum of number of stadiums generally requested by FIFA for a World Cup.
“The 2022 Local Organising Committee will submit by December 2014 a proposal for an appropriate number of host venues, whilst ensuring a suitable legacy for the country and the national league after the tournament. The approval of the final number of stadiums is envisaged by the FIFA Executive Committee by March 2015.”
Blog
-
Qatar’s size is a factor in reducing number of venues
-
Moscow ready to host the World Cup, says Mayor
Moscow’s urban systems could cope with hosting an event on the scale of the FIFA World Cup “tomorrow”, Sergei Sobyanin, Mayor of Moscow said on Saturday in an interview with TV channel Moscow 24. He also said that football infrastructure will need to be fully modernised before the city is ready to host.
The Mayor’s comments come just a few days after the revelation from his office, City Hall, that Moscow will spend US$8.1bn on preparing for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. This figure was four times as much as the US$2bn that the city’s top sports official Alexey Vorobyov said earlier in April would be spent on sporting and transport infrastructure.
The largest proportion of City Hall’s revised budget will be allocated to urban infrastructure indirectly associated with the event. Two thirds of the budget will go towards transport upgrades in Moscow, which currently experiences some of the heaviest traffic in the world.
Eleven per cent of the spending will be spent on sports facilities, including the major task of redeveloping Luzhniki Stadium, which is Moscow’s biggest sporting infrastructure project.
“The works are fully under way,” said Sobyanin. “At the same time, training fields are being built and football infrastructure will become modern by then.”
Sobyanin confirmed that the new Otkrytie, or Spartak stadium will open this year, along with a new Spartak metro station. He also said the number of hotel rooms in Moscow is growing by 1,000 each year.
The successful hosting of the IAAF World Athletics Championships in 2013 is evidence of Moscow’s capacity to host mega events, he said. “In terms of number of teams this is the second most spectacular event after the Olympics.” -
Glasgow 2014 awards £1m of contracts to supported businesses
Scottish supported businesses, which employ people with disabilities, have been awarded five contracts valuing £1m (US$1.7bn) to help prepare for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Glasgow-based RSBi will provide a logistics workforce and handle materials for the Athletes’ Village. RSBi have also been awarded a contract for a specialist package including supply, installation and removal of curtains and blinds in the residential accommodation of athletes and team officials.
Dovetail will provide 7,500 single size mattress protectors while Haven will supply around 17,000 laundry bags for the Village. North Lanarkshire Industries (previously known as Beltane) will distribute baton-bearer uniforms for the domestic sector of the Queen’s Baton Relay, as well as being contracted to provide 7,500 pillows for the Athletes’ Village.
The supported business sector in Scotland provides employment to people with disabilities and a potential pathway into the open labour market. It employs around 1,000 people and generates a turnover of more than £32m (US$54m)per annum.
“The £1 million boost to Scottish supported businesses – on top of the 73 per cent of Games related contracts already secured by Scottish companies – is a perfect example of Scotland’s success in competing on the world stage,” said Fergus Ewing Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism.
“By helping people with disabilities to maintain and improve their overall independence and wellbeing, this announcement also reflects the crucial role supported businesses have in building a healthier and fairer Scotland.”
According to Paul Carey, Glasgow City Council’s convener of the regeneration and the economy policy development committee, Glasgow businesses and organisations have won more than £180million of Games-related contracts so far. “This is a tremendous economic legacy for the city,” he said. -
Rio 2016 Olympic situation is “critical”
Preparations for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games are “the worst I have experienced” and “worse than Athens”, according to IOC Vice President John Coates.
“The situation is critical on the ground,” he said at an Olympic Forum in Sydney on Tuesday.
While the IOC is taking “unprecedented” action in an attempt to resolve “critical” construction delays, there is “no plan B” for the possibility of Rio not being ready to host the Games in 2016.
Coates has been involved in the Olympic movement for 20 years and has made six visits to Rio as a member of the IOC Coordination Commission, overseeing Rio’s preparations.
According to a statement from the Australian Olympic Committee, of which Coates is the president, IOC experts have been embedded in the organising committee, including construction project manager to ensure that works progress at the faster pace needed.
“The IOC has formed a special task force to try and speed up preparations,” said Coates.
The Rio 2016 organising committee has not responded directly to Coates’ comments, but it has said that it welcomes the intervention from the IOC.
“Very concerned”
“I’ve become very concerned, to be quite frank,” said Coates. “The last Coordination Commission visit earlier this month showed that they are really not ready in many, many ways.
“And then we followed that up with a meeting in Turkey two weeks ago when 18 of the federations said the organisers were not ready in respect of their venues, particularly in the case of the eight sports in the second Olympic Park at Deodoro. Really, construction hasn’t commenced there apart from a bit of ground clearance.”
Speaking on the BBC World Service on Tuesday night, Jefferson Puff, a BBC correspondent in Brazil said “If Deodoro was their only concern I think the IOC would be in heaven, because it’s so much more than that.
“The subway in the city was supposed to be extended, and that has been delayed. The bay in which some of the maritime competitions are supposed to take place is completely polluted. Critics say it will be very hard to clean it up in time.
“The budget for the Olympics is also a concern. You could argue that it’s basically a case of mismanagement of planning, of the money involved.”
“The challenges for sport leaders and team management is that they’re not getting answers to the questions when they go over,” said Coates.
“Can they use the car parks in the village for recovery centres? What will be the time to take from this venue to this venue? All of those things, they’re being fobbed off. No one is able to give answers at the moment.”
“No plan B”
Despite the very real possibility that Rio might not be ready in time, there has been no mention of any other cities that might be ready to host if necessary.
“The IOC has adopted a more hands on role. It is unprecedented for the IOC but there is no plan B. We are going to Rio,” Coates said. “From my experience it’s the worst that I have experienced but we just have to make it happen and that’s the IOC’s approach.
“You can’t walk away from this. And if this comes off, the first Games in the South American continent in the magical city in so many ways it will be a wonderful experience for the athletes.”
Comparisons have been drawn between Rio’s Olympic projects and Brazil’s last minute rush to host the 2014 World Cup, which starts on 12 June.
“I think maybe the organisers of the Olympics are actually betting with destiny, betting with the future – hoping that they can accomplish the same,” said Puff. “Only for the critics, the delays for the Olympics are bigger than for the World Cup already, so one could argue that the game they are playing is quite risky.” -
IOC urges PyeongChang to stick to deadlines
The International Olympic Commission (IOC) Coordination Commission on Thursday completed its third inspection visit of PyeongChang, the host city of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, concluding that progress was good but that work could not be allowed to slip behind schedule.
The Commission highlighted transport management, accommodation contracting and developing the Mountain Olympic Village as areas where timeframes are particularly “tight” for the PyeongChang Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (POCOG).
Venue construction, test events, marketing and Games services have also been identified as “key areas that require POCOG’s focus over the next six months,” the IOC said in a statement.
“We were able to see that a large amount has been accomplished by POCOG and its partners since our last visit in June 2013,” said Gunilla Lindberg, chair of the IOC coordination commission. “The 2018 Games are on the right track but it is clear that much work remains.”
POCOG President and CEO Jin-sun Kim said: “The eyes of the world are now on PyeongChang.
“This year is a big turning point for us. We must establish a solid framework. As I always stress, we have no time to practise and no time for trial and error. We will streamline our Master Schedule and set our priorities straight so that everything runs smoothly according to the timeline.”
The IOC said in a statement: “With timelines tight for the completion of accommodation contracting, the development of the Mountain Olympic Village and the transport management plan, the Coordination Commission encouraged POCOG to ensure that the appropriate focus and resources were dedicated to these important areas.”
Construction companies are being appointed for venues and some construction is underway. The commission “underlined the need for timelines to be carefully defined and adhered to, so as to avoid any impacts on test events.”
The IOC will undoubtedly be keen to avoid a situation like Rio 2016’s, where construction is critically behind schedule.
The commission also highlighted the need to prepare for the non-infrastructural aspects of test events, saying “the hiring and training of staff and volunteers should also begin in the near future”.
In the field of marketing, POCOG is in the process of finalising its first domestic partnership contract to build on progress so far.
“The awareness of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games has been strengthened by the success of PyeongChang House in Sochi, and the very innovative Closing Ceremony segment, which presented the 2018 Games to a worldwide audience of millions,” the IOC said. “The Commission encouraged the local organisers to continue to engage and promote their Games at this high level over the next four years both at home and abroad.”
The meetings in PyeongChang were attended by all levels of government. “The participation of the International Federations, the Korean Olympic and Paralympic Committees, and the Korean national winter sports federations was also very beneficial and allowed POCOG to engage in in-depth discussions on all topics related to the venues and sport,” said Lindberg.
“We are confident that POCOG and Korea will deliver great Games for the athletes in 2018.”
In June, PyeongChang will host the official IOC Debriefing of the Sochi 2014 Winter Games. The fourth Coordination Commission visit to PyeongChang will take place at the end of November 2014. -
Brazil 2014 World Cup visitors to offset carbon
Fans holding tickets for the World Cup in Brazil are being encouraged to offset the carbon emissions caused by their travel to the tournament.
A programme launched by FIFA on Thursday allows successful ticket applicants to sign up on a carbon offsetting page on FIFA.com, where they can enter a prize draw to win two tickets for the World Cup final.
FIFA is bearing the cost of the carbon offsetting; all that is required is a FIFA.com Club account and a successful ticket request reference ID.
The owner of the flagship event of the world’s most popular sport will be keen to generate a positive legacy, given the problems Brazil is encountering in the construction and delivery phases.
“FIFA takes its environmental responsibility very seriously,” said Federico Addiechi, FIFA’s head of corporate social responsibility.
“As part of our two-fold strategy with the non-profit carbon management programme BP Target Neutral, FIFA and the Local Organising Committee will offset 100 per cent of their own operational emissions and through the campaign launched today, we are encouraging fans to neutralise the carbon emissions resulting from their travel to Brazil.
“At the same time we use the FIFA World Cup as an opportunity to engage with millions of people and raise awareness of the environmental impact of our journeys and the ways to mitigate it.”
In a press release, FIFA acknowledged that “staging a tournament of this scale inevitably has an impact on the environment. Offsetting is one way of limiting this impact.”
The programme is supported by Cafu, the world’s only player to have appeared in three World Cup finals. “It just makes sense”, he said. “Supporting your team and supporting low carbon development in Brazil at the same time is a win-win for all. I am offsetting my travels related to the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 and encouraging everyone to do the same. It’s really easy to do and only takes a minute”.
The emissions will be offset through a portfolio of low carbon projects in Brazil, chosen by BP Target Neutral.
“Each project is selected through a rigorous tender process and adhering to the standards set by the International Carbon Reduction and Offsetting Alliance with final selection made by an independent panel of environmental NGOs. The list of the exact offsetting projects selected, all of which result in social and economic benefits to local Brazilian communities, will be announced in June,” says FIFA. -
England Rugby facility to be kitted out by SIS Pitches
SIS Pitches has received an order to install a new indoor rugby training pitch for England Rugby Union.
The facility at the prestigious Pennyhill Park Hotel in Surrey, UK is the official training base for the England Rugby Union senior team, who first used the facilities in the run up to the Rugby World Cup in 2003.
Pennyhill Park is located just 40 minutes from the national stadium at Twickenham. The squad is residing and training at the hotel before all international fixtures for the next four years.
The new pitch will use the SIS Rugger surfacing system that SIS Pitches installed at Allianz Park, home of Saracens Rugby Club in 2013. Other installations include Newcastle Falcons and Durham University.
The installation at Pennyhill includes the base layer, shockpad and surface and is due to commence in June 2014.
According to SIS Pitches, SIS Rugger has proven durability and long lasting playing characteristics even after intensive use, and is easier to maintain than traditional fibrillated surfaces.
“The contract was won despite keen interest from other suppliers and we are delighted to have been selected for this prestigious project,” said Steve Spaven, Director of Sales at SIS Pitches.
-
Football League partners with Soccerex
Soccerex and the Football League have signed a memorandum of understanding, committing to work together to make sure that football continues to develop across the League.
The agreement gives the Sky Bet Football League a major role at the Soccerex Global Convention, which takes place from 6-10 September in Manchester.
The Football League, the oldest competition in world football, today encompasses the three top divisions immediately below the Premiership.
Addressing issues such as club ownership, finance and betting, the League and Soccerex will work together to make sure that senior representatives from every one of the 72 Football League clubs attend the event. The League will also have a significant presence within the exhibition and play an integral part of the conference programme.
“Networking and knowledge sharing is an extremely valuable component for our development and Soccerex is the best football business event for this,” said Shaun Harvey, CEO of the Football League.
“We will be working closely with them to ensure a strong turnout from our club members so they can make most of the important opportunities that Soccerex presents.”
Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie said: “Having grown up amidst the excitement and success of the Football League with my dad at Leeds United and Manchester City, I have witnessed what this institution has done for our sport. Signing this MoU signals our intent to work with the best in the business and we look forward to welcoming all of the 72 clubs to Manchester.”
The Football League join an growing roster of names lining up for the Convention that already includes FIFA President Joseph Blatter, FIFA Vice-President Jim Boyce, British Olympic Association Chairman Lord Coe, RFU CEO Ian Ritchie and England and Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton.
The Convention kicks off with the Football Festival on 6-7th September with the conference starting on Monday 8th September.
For more information please visit http://www.soccerex.com/global or email enquiry@soccerex.com -
Al Wakrah groundwork contract awarded to local firm HBK
The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy has awarded HBK Contracting Company the enabling works contract for Al Wakrah stadium, the first proposed host venue to be delivered ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The contract was awarded through a tender process designed to attract Qatari contractors with local knowledge and proven capability in delivering the required services, as part of the Supreme Committee’s legacy initiative to develop the private sector.
The enabling works phase begins in May and is due for completion by around March 2015. During this period, HBK will deliver bulk earthworks including site clearance, excavation and disposal, fill, as well as underground services and stadium foundations. The foundation works will be marked by a ceremony in September.
The main construction company for the stadium will be announced at the end of 2014. The successful candidate for this tender will partner with a local business, in line with the Supreme Committee’s effort to boost the expansion of the Qatar economy.
“We are excited to announce the next stage of works for Al Wakrah Stadium and look forward to continued progress on the ground this year,” said Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy. “The stadium and surrounding precinct will leave a social legacy in Al Wakrah and by appointing HBK, a Qatari company, we aim to also contribute to the economic legacy of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.”
H.E. Sheikh Ali Bin Hamad K. Al-Thani, President of HBK, said: “We are honoured and excited to be appointed by the Supreme Committee as the contractor for this critical first phase of works on the road to the FIFA World Cup in 2022, and look forward to working closely with all stakeholders to help build the first World Cup in the Middle East and achieve our country’s ambitions. We thank the Supreme Committee for giving us this opportunity to be involved in this most celebrated journey.”
The 40,000-seat stadium, future home of Al Wakrah Sports Club, was the first of Qatar’s FIFA World Cup proposed venues to be revealed. The stadium will be surrounded by approximately 560,000 m2 (60-hectare) of legacy precinct with a new sports centre and community hub. The precinct will deliver a range of community facilities, including a park, mosque, school, hotel, wedding hall, vocational training centre and retail outlets.
Following the tournament, the stadium’s capacity will be reduced to 20,000 with the extra modular seats removed, re-configured and donated to countries in need of sporting infrastructure, in consultation with FIFA and the continental football confederations.
After an initial inspection during the tendering process of the facility where the HBK workers on the Al Wakrah project will be housed, HBK confirmed their commitment to adhere to the Supreme Committee’s Workers’ Welfare Standards, working closely with representatives of the Workers’ Welfare Committee to ensure that the health, safety and dignity of workers on the project are further protected.
Farah Al-Muftah, Chairwoman of the Workers’ Welfare Committee, said: “We started a dialogue with HBK on our expectation for workers welfare during the tendering process and we are encouraged by the company’s commitment to creating a healthy and safe environment for workers on the Al Wakrah Stadium project.”
-
NBCU awarded Olympic broadcasting rights to 2032
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday awarded NBCUniversal the US broadcast rights for the Olympic Games through to 2032.
The deal covers all media platforms, including free-to-air television, subscription television, internet and mobile. The agreement will run from 2021 to 2032, extending an agreement in 2011 which gave NBCU the right to broadcast the Olympic Games until 2020.
NBCU will now broadcast every Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games through to 2032, regardless of which host cities are elected to host these events.
The deal is valued at US$ 7.65bn with an extra US$100m signing bonus that will be used to promote Olympism and the Olympic values between 2015 and 2020, the IOC said in a statement.
“This agreement is excellent news for the entire Olympic Movement as it helps to ensure its financial security in the long term, in particular future host cities of the Olympic Games, the athletes of the 204 National Olympic Committees and the International Sports Federations,” said IOC President Thomas Bach, who led the negotiations.
“The IOC has worked in close partnership with NBC for many decades, and we are thrilled we will continue to work with them through to 2032. NBC’s expertise in sports broadcasting, as well as their passion for the Olympic values, will mean we shall be able continue to offer first-class broadcast coverage of the Olympic Games to the widest possible American audience for many years to come.”
Steve Burke, CEO, NBCUniversal, said: “The Olympics are part of the fabric of our company, and we couldn’t be more excited that today’s announcement guarantees that this massively popular and profitable programming will continue to air every two years on the broadcast, cable, digital and mobile platforms of NBCUniversal for the next two decades.”
NBCU first broadcast the Olympic Games in Tokyo 1964. By 2032, it will have covered a total of 23 editions of the world’s biggest multisport event.