Australia fight off Blazing Virat Kohli to win final T20I in Sydney WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2020 PAGE 14 QATAR INVITed TO PARTICIPATE IN EURO WORLD CUP 2022 QUALIFYING QNA/TNN teams provides our national DOHA team with an excellent foun- dation as we continue our THE Union of European Foot- journey of preparation ahead ball Associations (UEFA) has of 2022.” invited Qatar to participate His Excellency added: in FIFA World Cup Qatar “Our squad has made major 2022 qualifying campaign, in strides in recent years, includ- a move that reflects Doha’s ing winning the AFC Asian position on the international Cup in 2019, and we are de- sports scene. termined to showcase the The Asian champions progress we’ve made and the will join Group A – alongside talent our country possesses UEFA Euro 2016 winners when we host the first FIFA Portugal, Serbia, Republic of World Cup in the Middle East Ireland, Luxembourg, and and Arab World in 2022.” Azerbaijan. Apart from playing in the Qatar will play their World Cup qualifying match- ‘home’ fixtures onE uropean es in Europe, Qatar will also soil in order to facilitate short- be participating in the Copa er travel times for their group America and CONCACAF opponents. Gold Cup next summer. As the FIFA World Cup Qatar has benn invited to 2022 host nation, Qatar has play the Copa America from already qualified for the tour- June 11-July 10 as part of a nament and therefore their group with co-hosts Colom- results will not count towards bia as well as Brazil, Ecuador, the final standings in UEFA Peru and Venezuela. qualifying. The Qatar team will be in HE President of Qatar the United States for the July Football Association (QFA) 10-Aug. 1 for CONCACAF Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Gold Cup, the championship Ahmed Al-Thani said, “We of North and Central America are delighted that Qatar will and the Caribbean. participate in UEFA qualify- Qatar, who are the reign- ing matches for the next FIFA ing Asian Cup champions World Cup, which our country having won title in 2019 beat- is proud to be hosting. ing Japan is the final, are Asian champions Qatar will be joining Group A – alongside UEFA Euro 2016 winners Portugal, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, and Azerbaijan – in the Euro FIFA World Cup “Playing matches in currently 59th in the FIFA 2022 qualifying and playing their ‘home’ fixtures on European soil in order to facilitate shorter travel times for their group opponents. Group A against high-quality world rankings. European giants bullish ahead MME team visits Al Thumama and Al Janoub stadiums to measure air quality of long road to Qatar 2022 QNA DOHA DPA Diario AS concluded of THE technical team at the De- BERLIN FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 offers 13 berths to the pool which also contains partment of Monitoring and European Nations and the coaches of top nations were Greece and Kosovo: “The fact Environmental Laboratory of THE European path to Doha that Kosovo came out as the the Ministry of Municipality and World Cup finals glory in confident mood after the qualifying draw was made. fifth team makes the group and Environment (MME) paid in 2022 was determined by more difficult but in principle a field visit to Al Thumama football’s ruling body FIFA on teams in pot 2, although it’s “Time will tell whether that Spain is superior to all the oth- and Al Janoub stadiums, both Monday and nations such as good that they are nearby and is a help or a hindrance. The er sides in the group.” World Cup 2022 venues. holders France and top-ranked it’ll be a short trip.” Qualifiers risk is thinking that you’re bet- Germany coach Joachim The visit is within the Belgium are feeling confident begin with a triple-header in ter than the rest of the group.” Loew voiced confidence framework of cooperation with about their chances. March while in the hectic year Previous holders Spain and against Romania, Iceland, the Supreme Committee for De- But with only the 10 group affected by the coronavirus, Germany both learned the hard North Macedonia, Armenia livery and Legacy (SC) and aims winners securing qualifica- Italy will also meet Switzerland way about complacency as they and Liechtenstein in Group to enhance air quality monitor- tion to the finals in Qatar, in Rome at the delayed Euro exited their titles defences at J but also sounded a note ing in the areas of the World A lobby inside the state-of-the-art Al Janoub Stadium which is one one even the strongest countries 2020 in summer. the group stage of the finals in of caution. Cup stadiums and ensure the of the sight venues for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. (Pic: SC) will be aware they have little And Italy must also aim to 2014 and 2018. “Iceland have made a highest standards of ambient margin for error - as Italy dis- peak in the Nations League fi- Spain see Sweden as their name for themselves at major air during the World Cup 2022. ity in the country, especially in pected to be completed in all covered when missing out on nals they host in October when big rivals in Group B and coach tournaments in recent years, It comes within the frame- places of sport activities, events stadiums during 2021. Russia 2018. they welcome Spain, Belgium Luis Enrique was not thrilled and there’s always a good work of strengthening cooper- and international tournaments, The visit comes within the “Italy: it’s easy but...” daily and France to Turin and Milan, for a repeat of their Euro 2020 atmosphere wherever they ation between the SC and the particularly the FIFA World efforts made between the Min- newspaper La Gazzetta dello before qualifying concludes in qualifying ties: “We get Sweden play,” he said. MME, especially in the field Cup Qatar 2022. istry and State institutions to Sport headlined with La Nazi- November. again in the group and we are “Romania have a very of measuring air quality in the The Ministry’s team also preserve the environment in onale put in Group C along with Holders France are in not too amused by it but then I young team from what I know, areas around the World Cup visited Al Janoub stadium in general and air quality in par- Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Group D with Ukraine, Fin- suppose Sweden feel the same with players who really stood stadiums. Al Wakra to determine the best ticular. Bulgaria and Lithuania. land, Bosnia, Kazakhstan. way. out at the most recent Euro- A team of researchers and location for installing an air It is part of a series of visits “I believe it’ll be a battle “France are the favourites “We met them in the Eu- pean U-21 championships, experts from the Department quality monitoring station. The to determine the distribution between ourselves and Swit- but we’ll need to do the busi- ropean qualifiers and it was where they faced Germany in undertook a field tour inside Al Ministry will install the first sta- of a network of monitoring sta- zerland, who could have eas- ness out on the pitch,” said anything but easy but that’s the semi-final.” Kicker maga- Thumama stadium to identify tion for monitoring air quality tions in places chosen according ily been among the top seeds,” coach Didier Deschamps. no excuse, the team has to be zine and other German me- options available to select and at Al Janoub Stadium as part to the best standards as part of the Azzurri coach Roberto “We’re the top seeds so obvi- ready to play a good qualifica- dia agreed it was a “feasible” create a suitable site for install- of the Department’s plan to en- the projects of the Ministry’s Mancini said. ously we’re supposed to be the tion campaign to reach another group to progress from. ing the Ministry’s stations for hance monitoring of air quality strategic plan 2018-2022 to “They were one of the best best team. World Cup finals.” World number one Bel- monitoring ambient air quality in the country and around the monitor air quality. gium were given Czech in cooperation with the SC, with stadiums as well in preparation It is also within the second Republic, Belarus and Estonia the aim of enhancing ambient for the upcoming sports tourna- national strategy for manag- in Group E along with Wales, air quality monitoring and con- ments and the World Cup 2022. ing air quality and ensuring who knocked them out of trol and ensuring the best inter- The installation of air qual- the preservation of ambient air Euro 2016. national standards for air qual- ity monitoring stations is ex- quality in the country. “The match against Wales will be really fun to prepare for from an emotional point of view,” said coach Roberto Martinez. “On the pitch though, that will be two really tough games.” And England will also look to continue their strong form when given Poland, yet again, in qualifying as they did ahead of the 1974, 1990, 1994, 2006 and 2014 World Cups. “There is a great his- tory with that fixture,” said England manager Gareth Southgate. “There was a spell when we seemed to draw them all the time.” Group I also contains The FIFA World Cup trophy displayed on stage during the UEFA preliminary draw for the FIFA World Cup Hungary along with Albania, An inside view of the Al Thumama Stadium which is nearing completion ahead of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in the Hallenstadion in Zurich on Monday.