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.”
Tag: fifa world cup
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Qatar’s size is a factor in reducing number of venues
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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. -
31 countries declare interest in FIFA World Cup events
FIFA has sent bidding documents to 31 member associations that have declared their interest in hosting eight tournaments.
The relevant member associations now have to sign and return the documents before the FIFA Executive Committee begins the process of assigning the hosting rights.
The available events include the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the 2018 U-20 Women’s World Cup, the 2018 U-17 Women’s World Cup and the 2015-2019 Club World Cups. An unprecedented 12 countries have put themselves forward for the 2017 Beach Soccer World Cup.
FIFA has made it clear that it would prefer the 2019 Women’s World Cup and the 2018 U-20 Women’s World Cup to take place in the same country. Four countries have put themselves forward for these two events, namely England, France, Korea Republic, New Zealand and South Africa.
South Africa has also declared an interest in the 2019 Women’s World Cup, hopeful that its hosting of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2016 will enable it to qualify to host the 2019 Women’s World Cup.
For the 2018 U-17 Women’s World Cup, FIFA has received five declarations of interest, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Finland, Northern Ireland and Sweden.
The deadline for submitting the hosting agreement together with all the signed bidding documents for all of the women’s events is 31 October 2014. The election of the host nations is scheduled to take place at the first FIFA Executive Committee meeting in 2015.
The 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup has attracted a particularly large pool of associations, with 12 countries hoping to host the tournament: Argentina, Bahamas, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, UAE and USA.
All bidding and hosting documents for the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup must be signed and submitted by 1 October 2014. The FIFA Executive Committee will appoint the host at its meeting in December 2014.
FIFA has also opened the bidding process for four editions of the FIFA Club World Cup. India and Japan have put themselves forward for the tournament in 2015 and 2016, while Brazil, Japan and UAE are aiming for 2017 and 2018.
The deadline for submitting the bidding documents is 25 August 2014 and the host will be selected by the Executive Committee in September 2014.
“FIFA is delighted to see the impressive interest from its member associations in hosting a FIFA competition,” football’s world governing body said in a statement.
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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.”
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Qatar stadium build steps up with major congress
As Qatar’s preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup enter the construction phase, the World Stadium Congress brings architects, solutions providers and stadium operations consultants to Doha on 19th May 2014.
This year’s World Stadium Congress, organised by IQPC, will focus on stadium design, sustainability and construction challenges.
ASTAD Project Management’s H.E. Ali Bin Nasser Al Khalifa and SPOR SANAYI’s Yasar Meral will open the first day of the conference with keynotes on world-class sporting infrastructure.
H.E. Ali Bin Nasser will provide an insight into the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup in Qatar in a session titled “Delivering world-class infrastructure to support Qatar 2022.”
“Exceptional project management will play a critical role in the delivering a memorable mega-event,” said H.E. Ali Bin Nasser.
“We will draw from ASTAD’s significant experience building sports facilities in Qatar, but it is also important for senior stakeholders within the industry to share their expertise and knowledge so that we may identify solutions to common challenges and ensure continuous improvement in design and construction.”
Tariq Al Abudulla, General Manager of the Qatar Olympic Academy and Head of Technical Affairs at the Qatar Olympic Committee, will follow with a keynote address on Day Two, laying out the Qatar Olympic Academy’s unique Sport Venue Management programme.
Other speakers include Jon Sellins, head of business development consultancy at Wembley Stadium, who will draw from the Champions League Final 2013 to convey best practices in hosting and facilitating major sporting events.
Sustainability is the keyword at this year’s conference. “It is important to us that the lasting impact of our stadiums on the community is a positive one,” said Diogo Taddei, architecture manager at AECOM, Brazil.
“In designing the sporting and non-competition facilities for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, we took Rio’s and Brazil’s sporting ambitions into account and focused on the provision of a cost-efficient design for permanent and temporary venues. The legacy conversion plan cannot be overlooked.”
Dan Meis, global director of sport at Woods Bagot, will also discuss stadium legacy and community integration, showcasing AS Roma’s new €700m stadium as a mixed-use sports and entertainment destination.
“Given the number of stadiums that are being contemplated for the region, it is very important to discuss how we can ensure that these venues continue to benefit the community beyond the tournaments for which they were built,” he said.
The congress will also feature panels, case studies and roundtable discussions. Meis, Taddei, Mark Fenwick of RFA Irribarren Architects, and Markus Pfisterer, director of GMP Architekten, will sit on a panel on trends in stadium design.
J Parrish, Director of Global Sports, AECOM, UK, event chair Paul Hyett of HKS Architects will also feature in roundtable discussions, along with representatives from Honeywell and Grundfos.
This year’s World Stadium Congress will host a financial perspective for the first time. Nermine Nassif Girgis Ishak, Head of Corporate Banking at Al Khaliji Commercial Bank will deliver a talk entitled “Financing growth and capitalising on development opportunities,” an examination of opportunities in the Qatar projects market for local and international players.
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Qatar World Cup stadiums to be confirmed in 2015
The number of stadiums that will feature in the 2022 World Cup still hangs in the balance and will not be finalised until next year, according to Nasser Al Khater, executive director for marketing at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.
It has been widely reported that Qatar plans to drastically scale down its ambitious venue plans for the 2022 World Cup. These reports were sparked by comments made by the Supreme Committee’s senior manager for projects at a conference on 23rd April, who stated that only eight stadiums would be used.
With the Supreme Committee having neither discounted this possibility nor given reasons why cutting back to eight stadiums might be an option, the international sports event community has come up with its own suggestions, with cost control being considered to be a possible motivation.
Addressing such “speculation”, Al Khater said “That’s not true actually.”
Speaking to delegates at Soccerex Asian Forum on Tuesday, he said “In our bid, as FIFA stipulates, we proposed a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 18.”
The minimum number of stadiums required by FIFA is eight and this figure remains a possibility.
“In 2015, will decide alongside FIFA how many need for the World Cup,” he said.
Al Khater was speaking in place of Hasan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, who was unable to attend the event.
Al Khater also took the opportunity to set the record straight on reports of poor workers’ welfare on World Cup construction projects.
“Contrary to what international media says, there is no single injury or death on World Cup projects,” he said.
“However, from the very beginning we have taken the issue of workers’ welfare very seriously,”
Although civic infrastructure developments are progressing rapidly in Qatar, construction has not started on World Cup sites. Only one of the new stadiums, Al Wakrah, is under construction.
By the end of 2014, five World Cup stadiums will be under construction, Al Khater told delegates. -
The world’s most sustainable stadiums
Sustainable construction has not historically been a leading concern when developers confront the challenge of erecting an arena from scratch to a pressing deadline. But gradually the green agenda has gained ground in the list of key considerations for hosting sporting events, while some leading clubs have also developed environmental awareness.
The US has been the trailblazer, with many of the biggest names in American sport now belonging to the Green Sports Alliance, a non-profit organisation that helps members enhance their environmental performance.
Founded in 2011 by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s investment company Vulcan, the alliance now has 125 venues, 105 teams and seven leagues as members.
As identified in the NRDC’s “Game Changer” report, greener stadiums not only benefit the environment and cut utility bills but also have potential to improve community ties, attract corporate sponsors and can boost the local economy.
We can expect even greater commitment to sustainability from big sports clubs globally in the coming years. The current issue of HOST CITY magazine looks at three stadiums that set standards for other developers to aspire to.
1: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, US
This is the only stadium in the National Football League (NFL) that is home to more than one club. But the energy savings it has achieved since opening in April 2010 go far beyond the benefits derived from the ground-sharing arrangement between the New York Giants and New York Jets.
Find out more in the current issue of HOST CITY magazine.
2: Estádio Nacional, Brasilia
Few stadiums globally have earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design [LEED] awards of any level from the US-based Green Building Council.
Now, this US$640m stadium in Brazil’s capital is ready not only to host seven matches in the World Cup but to seek the highest LEED rating available: platinum.
Find out more in the current issue of HOST CITY magazine.
3: Marlins Park, Miami
The 37,442 capacity stadium became the first in Major League Baseball to achieve LEED gold certification for new construction in 2012, surpassing Miami Marlins’ initial ambition of achieving silver.
Find out more in the current issue of HOST CITY magazine. -
Brazil is a victim of prejudice, says deputy sports minister
The international media expresses prejudice within developed nations against the capacity of developing countries like Brazil to host global sports events, the country’s deputy sports minister said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference in response to a question from HOST CITY about the severe delays in Brazil’s preparations to host mega events, Luis Fernandes said “In sectors of the public opinion of richer countries, there is prejudice directed against developing countries and their capacity to deliver major global sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympic Games.
“I’ll give you an example: We had a sad tragedy in the preparation for the World Cup in a city in Southern Brazil where there was a fire in a nightclub and in which a number of youngsters were killed. And sectors of the press, both international and national, took up that specific case to question Brazil’s capacity of organizing the World Cup and Olympic Games.
“When similar accidents occurred in the UK, in France, in Russia, in China before hosting major global events, the same questioning or the same scepticism was not directed against those countries; so that is a prejudiced point of view from our perspective.”
HOST CITY asked if he thought that FIFA’s deadlines should be more lenient in certain countries where there may be a tendency for preparations to take longer.
“We are not happy with whatever delays exist,” Fernandes said. “It would have been better to have all World Cup stadiums delivered already by December 2013 so that we could, in sequence, test all aspects of operations of those stadiums throughout the first semester.
“We had two stadiums that were delivered late and that had more acute problems of delays; those were the stadiums in São Paulo and Curitiba, so that put extra pressure on our organizational capacity because we had to make a number of tests in parallel that would have been held easier and in a more calm fashion if they could have been done in sequence.”
Fernandes drew parallels with the Confederations Cup, preparations for which also ran behind schedule. “The same type of doubts or scepticism or prejudice also manifested itself with respect to the Confederations Cup, saying that Brazil wasn’t prepared to hold that event—and the event was a huge success.
“We also had stadiums that unfortunately were delivered late, but the operation was a success. So we already showed the world that we can organize such a competition efficiently and with success, although maybe, personally, the operational cost of organizing such an event is greater due to certain delays.
“But our message is one of absolute confidence that we will have a spectacular World Cup here in Brazil starting two weeks on.” -
Yaya Toure convinced by Qatar 2022 plans
Manchester City star Yaya Toure got more than the hospital treatment he was visiting Doha for this week. The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy made the most of the occasion, showcasing their plans for the 2022 World Cup tournament to the Ivorian midfielder.
“At Manchester City we talk about the World Cup in Qatar, but sometimes only because you hear very negative things,” Toure said. “If I’m honest, I had questions before I came to Qatar, especially about the weather. It is very hot and you ask yourself how it will be possible for players to play in this heat?”
The Supreme Committee welcomed the world-leading midfielder to the Legacy Pavilion – one of the venues that FIFA inspectors visited in 2010 before Qatar won the right to host the tournament. He was shown how stadiums will be cooled in environmentally-friendly ways and how and modular construction techniques will benefit developing countries after the tournament.
“Now that I have seen the plans and watched this amazing presentation, I have the answers. It is amazing,” Toure said.
“I didn’t understand the plans Qatar has. I didn’t know about the cooling technology or anything like this. I am so surprised. It has everything.
“I have played in the World Cup before. I am about to play in another one. I know what you need for this sort of tournament to be successful. Qatar looks like it has the plans to succeed.”
“For sure I will be telling my teammates about these plans because Qatar is planning to have everything. It’s fantastic.
After helping his team to win the English Premier League, Toure went to Doha’s Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital for treatment on a minor injury. He joins the Ivory Coast national team in Dallas, Texas on Thursday to prepare for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Toure hopes to still be playing by the time Qatar is hosting. “In 2022 I will be 40 and maybe that’s too old to play at a World Cup. I’m trying to work out how I can be involved because this is the future. It looks amazing.” -
Host city Belo Horizonte reveals fan fest plans
The World Cup host city of Belo Horizonte has revealed plans for its fan fest, which will show matches and a programme of other world class entertainment for a live audience of up to 21,000 people for free.
Belo Horizonte’s announcement is in sharp contrast to problems elsewhere in Brazil.
Providing a fan fest is a contractual obligation for all FIFA World Cup host cities. FIFA is still waiting for confirmation about whether the host city of Recife will be able to fulfil its obligation to provide a fan fest during the World Cup. Funding for the project has yet to be confirmed.
Salvador might also have to break its obligation to provide a fan fest, for similar reasons. The Secretary of Ecopa Salvador, the municipal office responsible for World Cup activities there, admitted last week that fulfilling the Fan Fest depends on the outcome of continuing sponsorship negotiations.
Belo Horizonte is hosting six World Cup matches, including a semi-final on 8th July. Its fan fest will be open on all match days in Belo Horizonte and every weekend during the World Cup.
The site, encompassing three pavilions and located in the city’s 16,000 sq m Expominas centre, will host more than 40 events during the World Cup tournament in a celebration of Brazilian music, entertainment and cuisine.
The programme will feature a selection of famous Brazilian musicians including Daniela Mercury, with at least one major national artist will perform every day. ABRASEL, Brazil’s association of bars and restaurants, has partnered with the fan fest to provide high quality catering including local specialities.
The fan fest site will also host the media centre for accredited and non-accredited journalists, with 84 working stations, free wifi, televisions for transmission of the games and a direct view of the Belo Horizonte fan fest arena.
Work stations and leisure space will also be provided for all volunteers taking part in the World Cup project. Embassies and consulates of national teams competing in the tournament will also have a dedicated area onsite.
“We have spent a lot of time looking at how we can deliver the best visitor experience for all of the football fans that will come to Belo Horizonte and we believe that they will have a fantastic time celebrating this festival of football at our FIFA fan fest,” said Camillo Fraga, Municipal Secretary for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil – Host City, Belo Horizonte.
“We have also invested in our local infrastructure to ensure that all of our visitors and residents will be able to move swiftly and safely from our fan fest site to the stadium and around our city. We cannot wait for this global football experience to start and welcoming fans from across the world to Belo Horizonte.”