WEDNESDAY, MArch 30, 2016 VOLUME XI ISSUE NO.8 Q r2.00 www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com P 6 | FOOTBALL P 24 | MOTORSPORT CHINA DOWN QATAR CRUISE CONTROL QATAR’S FIRST China hand Qatar their only defeat Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah easily ENGLISH SPORTS in the second round of World Cup wins in Kuwait to extend his WEEKLY Asian Zone qualification. lead in Mideast championship. FOLLOW US PAGES 8-9 P 7 | FOOTBALL P 20 | POSTER DSP EXCLUSIVE P 28 | HANDBALL INTERVIEW SHANE Tabata optimistic WATSON Lekhwiya crowned about Qatar’s chances Asian champions UK £1, Europe €2 | Oman 200 Baisas | Bahrain 200 Fils | Egypt LE 2 | Lebanon 3,000 Livre | Kuwait 250 Fils | Morocco Dh 6 | UAEDh 5 | Yemen 75 Riyals | Sudan 1 Pound | KSA 2 Riyals | Jordan 500 Fils | Iraq $1 | Palestine $1 | Syria LS 20 Wednesday, March 30, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com 3 EXCITEMENT NOW JUST A TOUCH AWAY OutlookThe writer can be contacted at [email protected] Use criticism in a positive way to improve things ĈĈThere’re areas where we need to act due to more and more big projects, some of them improve the plight of migrant workers. I’m not fast and show more transparency related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, there’re fresh trying to paint a rosy picture. I’m aware there’re challenges. We aren’t running away from them. areas where we need to act fast and show more OME wasn’t built in a day! This proverb Even our prime minister admitted that as a coun- transparency and resoluteness, especially on the metaphorically means great things can only try we faced “a big challenge on the labour front”. complex issue of kafala (sponsorship). Rbe achieved over a period of time. I would But then, when we look back, we realise that There’re three fundamental ILO conventions Qatar like to urge all those who criticise Qatar, including even some of the world’s most advanced coun- needs to ratify. These’re decisions to be taken at the Amnesty International which is expected to soon tries have gone through similar difficulties dur- government level and the State Communication release a report on the so-called ‘exploitation of ing their transitional phase. Their journey to pro- Office should answer the critics and not SCDL, migrant workers’, to be patient and give us more gress and prosperity has been slow and, in some which is tasked with delivering stadiums and other time to achieve our goals. cases, agonising. None of them got transformed infrastructure for the World Cup. Until then, there could be small gaps here overnight. It’s time all stakeholders co-ordinated better, took and there, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t try- It takes time to bring about fundamental changes criticism in a positive way and silenced the critics. ing. The International Labour Organisation in any society and Qatar can’t be an exception. The (ILO) has also pointed out certain anomalies in NGOs, other activists and even the media must our system dealing with migrant workers, but realise it. They can’t accuse us of inaction or doubt has given a year’s time to put things in order. our intent. They should also refrain from using In a country like Qatar, where nationals consti- the World Cup to hold us as a hostage. tute only 12 per cent of its population, migrant As a Qatari, I’m proud of the progress we’ve made workers form the backbone of its human resource so far. The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Dr Ahmed Al Mohannadi requirements. Obviously, as their number increases Legacy (SCDL) has taken several initiatives to Editor-in-Chief We must make sure Stadium Plus, March 23). Kane is cru- football is clean cial not only to their title chances, INBOX but also to England’s performance The cover story on match fixing Doha( at the European Championship. Stadium Plus, March 23) was perfectly England have a lot of talented Editor-in-Chief Dr Ahmed Al Mohannadi P.O. Box: 24598, Doha, Qatar timed as the Qatar Stars League is youngsters, but no player is more Tel: +974 44138065, Fax: +974 44138597 heading for an exciting finish. important than Kane. Managing Editor Kumar Ravi WEDNESDAY, MArch 23, 2016 VOLUME XI ISSUE NO.7 Q r2.00 www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com P 10 | FOOTBALL P 28 | TABLE TENNIS MERRY-GO-ROUND! FIRM FAVOURITES Samuel John, Doha. QATAR’S FIRST Disciplined Al Sadd defeat 10-man World No.1 Ma Long heads a strong There have been occasional Senior Editor/Writer ENGLISH SPORTS Lekhwiya and jump to third position contingent of Chinese competitors Aswin Abraham in the Qatar Stars League. at the World Tour Qatar Open. WEEKLY Editorial: Tel: +974 44138522, Fax: +974 44138593 FOLLOW US Senior Sports Writer rumours and whispers of suspi- N Ganesh e-mail: [email protected] Sports Writers cious games in the past and Qatar Sajith B Warrier Marketing & advertising: Tel: +974 44138566 Good for the sport Mohammad Amin-ul Islam e-mail: [email protected] Football Association President Sheikh Sarath Pookkat Distribution: Tel: +974 44138535/36, Fax: +974 44138597 Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Abdalelah Haroun’s silver medal e-mail: [email protected] Thani would be concerned about in 400M at the IAAF World Indoor Photographers Mohan Qatar Football Association chief Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani warns of ruthless punishment if teams’ involvement any controversy that could damage Championships (Doha Stadium Plus, Vinod Divakaran in match fixing is proved. PAGES 6-7 Fadi Al Assaad Qatar’s reputation on the world stage. March 23) will definitely motivate a Mohammed Dabboos P 25 | MOTORSPORT P 20 | POSTER We want the authorities to make lot of young Qatari athletes. DSP EXCLUSIVE P 27 | VOLLEYBALL Harris, the voice RIYAD INTERVIEW MAHREZ Rayyan stay of MotoGP Gulf champs DSP/ Fadi Al Assaad Publishers: ASPIRE Printing, Publishing and Distribution A K BijuRaj UK £1, Europe €2 | Oman 200 Baisas | Bahrain 200 Fils | Egypt LE 2 | Lebanon 3,000 Livre | Kuwait 250 Fils | Morocco Dh 6 | UAEDh 5 | Yemen 75 Riyals | Sudan 1 Pound | KSA 2 Riyals | Jordan 500 Fils | Iraq $1 | Palestine $1 | Syria LS 20 sure the game is clean and the QFA Mutaz Essa Barshim’s fourth-place Publishers: ASPIRE Printing, Graphic Designers Abhilash Chacko chief is doing exactly that. finish in high jump was disappoint- P O Box: 24598, Doha, Qatar. Publishing and Distribution Habib Sadek, Doha. Marketing & advertising: Tel: +974 44138566 Gopakumar K Printed at ASPIRE Printing Press ing, but let’s hope he’ll peak in time Joice Michael for the Rio Olympics. Qatar now have e-mail: [email protected] www.twitter.com/dohastadiumplus Technical support Shaheen Mohammed so many athletes capable of shin- Distribution: Tel: +974 44138535/36, Fax: +974 44138597 www.facebook.com/dohastadiumplusqatar Kane’s timely form e-mail: [email protected] Abdul Naser M www.flickr.com/photos/dohastadiumplusqatar ing on the world stage and that’s It’s great for Tottenham Hotspur sure to inspire more youngsters to www.facebook.com/dohastadium www.twitter.com/dohastadiumplus www.flickr.com/photos/dohastadiumplusqatar © Stories and photographs appearing in this publication may not be reproduced without the permission of that Harry Kane has regained his take up track and field as a career. ASPIRE Printing, Publishing and Distribution. sizzling form of last season (Doha Mansour Hadi, Doha. Wednesday, March 30, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com 3 OutlookThe writer can be contacted at [email protected] Use criticism in a positive way to improve things ĈĈThere’re areas where we need to act due to more and more big projects, some of them improve the plight of migrant workers. I’m not fast and show more transparency related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, there’re fresh trying to paint a rosy picture. I’m aware there’re challenges. We aren’t running away from them. areas where we need to act fast and show more OME wasn’t built in a day! This proverb Even our prime minister admitted that as a coun- transparency and resoluteness, especially on the metaphorically means great things can only try we faced “a big challenge on the labour front”. complex issue of kafala (sponsorship). Rbe achieved over a period of time. I would But then, when we look back, we realise that There’re three fundamental ILO conventions Qatar like to urge all those who criticise Qatar, including even some of the world’s most advanced coun- needs to ratify. These’re decisions to be taken at the Amnesty International which is expected to soon tries have gone through similar difficulties dur- government level and the State Communication release a report on the so-called ‘exploitation of ing their transitional phase. Their journey to pro- Office should answer the critics and not SCDL, migrant workers’, to be patient and give us more gress and prosperity has been slow and, in some which is tasked with delivering stadiums and other time to achieve our goals. cases, agonising. None of them got transformed infrastructure for the World Cup. Until then, there could be small gaps here overnight. It’s time all stakeholders co-ordinated better, took and there, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t try- It takes time to bring about fundamental changes criticism in a positive way and silenced the critics. ing. The International Labour Organisation in any society and Qatar can’t be an exception. The (ILO) has also pointed out certain anomalies in NGOs, other activists and even the media must our system dealing with migrant workers, but realise it.