Sport TUESDAY 8 DECEMBER 2020 WeW have no room for complacency: Xavi ItI requires us to make more efforts because all matches are ddifficult. We have to continue with this level. We are doing everythinge the right way and now we have no room for ccomplacency. All matches are difficult as I mentioned and we hhave to win the three points (against Al Wakrah). Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez Sport | 10 AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: EAST ZONE Vissel Kobe 2 - 0 Shanghai SIPG, Yokohama F. Marinos 2 - 3 Suwon Samsung Bluewings New World Cup stadium: Qatar ready to welcome fans for Amir Cup final RIZWAN REHMAT THE PENINSULA Qatar is ready for the biggest fan attendance at a top regional sports final this year when it inaugurates the fourth venue of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on December 18. The brand new venue will reach 50 percent capacity when fans turn up to watch Doha giants Al Sadd take on popular side Al Arabi in the 2020 Amir Cup final at Al Rayyan Venue. This was confirmed at a press conference addressed by Khalid Al Kuwari, Director of Khalid Al Kuwari, Director of Marketing & Communications, QFA, Dr Abdul Wahab Al Musleh, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Clinical Marketing & Communications Information Systems, Hamad Medical Corporation, and Khalid Al Naama, Digital Media Manager at SC and Deputy Communications at Qatar Football Association Director, Amir Cup LOC, are seen during a press conference held in Doha yesterday. (QFA), and Dr Abdul Wahab Al Musleh, Deputy Chief An aerial view of the Qatar 2022 World Medical Officer for Clinical Cup venue at Al Rayyan. Information Systems, Hamad Al Kuwari yesterday said Medical Corporation. pre-booking for the final has Khalid Al Naama, Digital already commenced with Media Manager at the huge demand for tickets Supreme Committee for witnessed. Delivery & Legacy and Deputy “We are looking forward Communications Director, to a great atmosphere at Al Amir Cup Local Organising Rayyan Venue on 18 Committee (LOC). also December. Our priority is to addressed the media. ensure everyone’s safety, in This will be the fourth line with the measures imple- World Cup venue to be inau- mented by the Supreme Com- gurated by Qatar after the mittee for Crisis Management. unveiling of the iconic Khalifa We have adopted a new tick- International Stadium (May eting process, which includes 2017), Al Janoub Stadium (May testing everyone for COVID-19 2019) and the Education City before they are allowed to Stadium (June 2020). enter the stadium. A good Earlier this year, it was number of people have announced the new stadium already claimed their tickets would host seven matches and we are looking forward during Qatar 2022. to a great occasion on Qatar “Before I speak about the National Day.” details of the final, I would like Al Naama said: “It’s an to say that Qatar now occupies This can be considered a great social distancing will be honour to have the new 2022 a unique position on the global success,” he said. We had 40,000 fans last year for the Amir Cup final. During the strictly implemented. Only FIFA World Cup stadium to sports map. This is the first “The Amir Cup final will be pandemic, we have to take different steps. We have examined the half of the stadium will be full be inaugurated with the time in the world that we will held at a 2022 FIFA World Cup which means fans will sit with 2020 Amir Cup final just like see preparations for a sports venue. It is a venue with a matter of fan attendance very closely. Only 30 percent fans have gaps. Fans will have to show when the Khalifa Interna- final with a big fan attendance. 40,000-seat capacity. The Al been allowed at sports events so far but we can go further than their Ehteraz app prior to tional Stadium and Al Janoub A big attendance in times of Rayyan Venue will reach this and go 50 percent. This can be considered a great success: entering the stadium. Sanitiser Stadium were pandemic is a huge deal,” Dr approximately 50 percent Dr Abdul Wahab Almusleh, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for bottles will be easily acces- inaugurated.” Al Musleh said yesterday. capacity when it hosts the Amir Clinical Information Systems, Hamad Medical Corporation sible at the stadium,” he said. He added: “The stadium “We had 40,000 fans last Cup final. No other country has “This will be a real has unique characters and it year for the Amir Cup final. been bold enough and coura- achievement for Qatar while it will be future headquarters of During the pandemic, we have geous enough to take this step,” hosts sports events at this time. Al Rayyan club. The stadium to take different steps. We Dr Al Musleh said. members of the Local Organ- “This process will guar- This is the example that we fol- is fully ready as it is hosting have examined the matter of “We decided that everyone izing Committee, people like antee all fans attending the lowed while hosting the AFC giants of football in Qatar. We fan attendance very closely. attending the match has to the TV crew, the match ref- final will be COVID-free. Eve- Champions League matches in look forward to hosting the Only 30 percent fans have undergo a PCR test. Everyone erees and assistants and the ryone will be tested two days the East and West Zones. We fans. SC ambassador like Aus- been allowed at sports events associated with the match like medical staff will have to test before the event,” Dr Al have presented our feedback tralian football star Tim Cahill so far but we can go further the players, coaching staff, the negative,” Dr Al Musleh Musleh said. to FIFA officials to show how will be there to celebrate the than this and go 50 percent. staff at the venue, the explained. “Mind you, at the stadium, we are doing,” he said. inauguration.” TUESDAY 8 DECEMBER 2020 SPORTSPORT 11 Hosts Qatar eye spectacular World Cup after vaccines AP – DOHA forward to hosting the fans and “We hope that remains the having a normal and successful Three of the eight stadiums same that they will have a Qatar is now planning for a World Cup.” (which will host FIFA World Cup break in the summer (of “complete normal” World Cup in European nations yesterday dis- 2022).” 2022 after the rapid progress in covered their path to securing one Qatar 2022 matches) have been Last week marked 10 producing vaccines for the corona- of 13 spots in the tournament when completed and a fourth at Al years since Qatar won the virus, the tournament CEO said the qualifying draw was staged at Rayyan is due to be ready to stage right to host the World ahead of the European qualifying FIFA HQ in Zurich. the domestic Amir Cup on Dec 18, Cup. Qatar has spent of draw held yesterday. The pandemic has prevented the which is Qatar’s National Day and billions of dollars to Early in the pandemic that forced event being staged in the host nation build hotels, a new the cancellation of the European as would usually happen before a when the World Cup final is due to transport system and Championship and Olympics this World Cup. be played in two years. lavish stadiums to cope year, the football family at large was “In the post-COVID pandemic with staging one of the concerned about the long-term era, we hope that sports will go back biggest sporting events. impact of COVID-19. to normal as quickly as possible,” Al break in the European seasons in Qatar used the Across the world sports have Khater said. 2022 to accommodate the World seven-team Club World Cup in Everybody’s looking forward to going resumed in front of limited or no The tournament isn’t just going Cup. December 2019 that was won by Liv- crowds, but the vaccines have pro- to a new region, but being played at The later tournament gives more erpool to test footballing back to some sort of normalcy in life vided hope that crowds can return the end of 2022 rather than the usual breathing space for qualifying to be infrastructure. and especially in sports as well. We’re in large numbers from next year. June-July slot. completed rather than the tour- This year’s edition, featuring very hopeful and very looking forward “The introduction of the vaccine “When the announcement was nament starting in about 18 months. Bayern Munich as European cham- that, by 2022, hopefully things will and the rollout of the vaccine, it’s made for the World Cup to be played It also should provide a break pions, has been postponed until Feb- definitely good news for everybody,” in November and December, obvi- eventually for players in the summer ruary due to the pandemic. really be back to complete normal and 2022 World Cup Chief Executive ously at that time there was a lot of of 2022 after enduring a long stretch Three of the eight stadiums have looking forward to hosting the fans Nasser Al Khater said in an interview feedback about the disruption to the of games from around June this year been completed and a fourth at Al and having a normal and successful with the AP. different calendars of the leagues,” through rescheduled events, Rayyan is due to be ready to stage the World Cup. In the post-COVID “Everybody’s looking forward to Al Khater said.