Hosting Perfect 2022 World Cup To Be Best Response To West's Criticism - Qatari Minister

Qatari Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali believes that making the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which his country is hosting, the best global sports tournament will be the perfect response to Western media's criticism of Doha.

ST. PETERSBURG (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th November, 2018) Qatari Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali believes that making the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which his country is hosting, the best global sports tournament will be the perfect response to Western media's criticism of Doha.

A number of Western media have criticized the Qatari organizing committee's promotional work for the 2022 World Cup. Russia faced similar pressure from media in the years leading up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

"From this point of view, we should also learn from Russia. I believe that it is necessary to concentrate on the project of hosting the championship [FIFA World Cup], focus on implementing what we have promised to do, work hard and organize the best world championship. I think this is the best response to the criticism," Ghanem Al Ali told Sputnik on the sidelines of the 7th Saint Petersburg International Cultural Forum, currently ongoing in Russia's second largest city.

Qatar will follow Russia and host the football championship in four years. The dates for the matches, however, have been moved to November and December instead of its traditional June-July time frame, due to the country's hot climate.

The minister believes that hosting the next FIFA World Cup in Qatar will allow people all over the world to better understand the middle East.

"I think that this will have a positive impact on the development of football in general. In fact, Qatar dreamed of becoming the host party of the World Cup. The Middle East needs such an event to make positive changes. As you know, the Middle East has been suffering from all sorts of conflicts for many years. And I think the time has come ... People constantly hear bad news from the Middle East. For them, this is a chance to come to us and talk to people, understand them," Ghanem Al Ali said.

According to the minister, Qatar will work hard to successfully host the FIFA World Cup.

"In 2018, Russia set a very high standard. This will be a real challenge for us to do better than Russia. It is very difficult, but I believe that your experience will be very useful for us and we need to work hard. I hope that we will be able to hold the World Cup at the same level or better. This is what we would like to do," Ghanem Al Ali added.

The minister also called Russia one of the best countries ever hosting the FIFA World Cup.