world cup: FIFA World Cup 2022: Fans pour into Doha for the opening ceremony and match – The Economic Times Video

International football fans started flying into Doha as the FIFA World Cup 2022 fever gripped fans across the globe. The much-awaited FIFA World Cup 2022 begins today in Qatar. To be held once every four years, 32 teams will be eyeing this Mahakumbh. This is the first time the Middle East is hosting the event. It is the first time the World Cup is being held outside the normal June-July window to escape the desert heat during the summer in Qatar.

Originally published at Pen 18

valencia: Valencia leads Ecuador to 2-0 win over hosts Qatar in World Cup opener

Ener Valencia’s two first-half goals helped Ecuador record a stunning 2-0 win over Qatar on Sunday as the home nation solidified their big night with an error-strewn performance that earned them their first World Cup berth. I had to face defeat.

Valencia, who already had a third-minute header ruled out for offside by VAR, slotted in the opening goal of the tournament from the penalty spot in the 16th minute after being brought down by a nervous-looking goalkeeper Saad Alsheeb to be done.

He netted a 31st-minute header for the second and the South Americans then cruised home as Qatar struggled to mount any meaningful attack and had only a full header by Almoez Ali to show for their limited efforts.

The other teams in Group A, Senegal and the Netherlands, meet on Monday in one of three games.

Originally published at Pen 18

Qatar world cup: The numbers behind hosting a football world cup

The 2022 FIFA Football World Cup begins in Qatar on Sunday, with the host country facing Ecuador in what is the costliest World Cup ever and the biggest sporting event ever staged in the Middle East. This is the first time that the World Cup has been organized in an Arab and Muslim-majority country.

Qatar has spent more than $200 billion preparing for the tournament, which has been dogged by controversy and criticism since day one. The 2018 edition of the tournament was the costliest ever when Russia paid close to $14 billion. Brazil spent around $12 billion when it hosted the World Cup in 2014.

It is important to note that previous hosts of the tournament had a strong football culture and infrastructure, something that did not appeal to Qatar. This meant that the country had to go the extra mile to accommodate the demands of the tournament, which is one of the most watched sporting events in the world.

Despite hosting a winter season for the first time in its history, experts say players are at risk of heat stroke in Qatar during the World Cup. To assist the players, Doha has built in air conditioners in seven stadiums. Popular football nations, including but not limited to European nations, have been critical of the way Qatar has prepared for the tournament. Corruption, human rights abuses, hostility towards gays, and for some, a lack of beer at stadium sites. The Qataris could hardly have furthered their cause when their World Cup ambassador (and former national player) Khalid Salman described homosexuality as “haram” (forbidden) and “mind damage”.

Despite the criticisms and criticisms, the tournament is expected to garner record viewership in Qatar and elsewhere.

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Since winning the bid to host the World Cup in 2010, Qatar has spent over $250 billion on football-related development, a figure comparable to the estimated $42 billion spent by China on the 2008 Beijing Olympics and $55 billion by Russia. is more than Winter Olympics in 2014.

Ten billion have gone to eight football stadiums. The rest of the country was dedicated to wholesale transformation: a complete remodeling of Downtown Doha; the construction of nearly a hundred new hotels; port and airport expansion; a modified road system; construction of three metro lines; and a new city with homes for over a million people.

It’s no surprise that a country with a population of less than three million people has spent huge sums of money over the last decade to host the biggest sporting event. The tournament is expected to see around 1.2 million fans in the country, and while many can live in neighboring countries, housing in Qatar itself has been a major challenge for organisers.

It is from here that the neighboring countries of Qatar are sure to benefit. Qatar will have more than 90 new daily flights, 40 from the United Arab Emirates, and Dubai, 45 minutes from Doha, will be the tournament’s main gateway. Saudi Arabia and Oman are counting on a spillover of tourists: if your team gets eliminated in the first round, what easier place to console yourself than on a beach by the Red Sea or the Indian Ocean?

Last month, officials began releasing thousands of rooms that were previously closed to the public. In October, a government spokesman said it was on its way to providing 130,000 rooms for the tournament, with more than 117,000 rooms currently available.

Reports suggest that the one-month tournament is on top of the roughly $5.4 billion in revenue that the 2018 World Cup in Russia generated for FIFA, the governing body of soccer.

FIFA has reportedly pre-sold broadcast rights, around 240,000 hospitality packages and around three million tickets for the event. The World Cup is sponsored by major brands including Adidas AG and The Coca-Cola Company.

Tournament chiefs say 2.9 million of the 3.1 million tickets sold have been sold, with fans waiting outside ticket centers hoping to see top games.

Originally published at Pen 18

FIFA World Cup 2022: Many historic firsts and a few historic lasts at store in Qatar

Originally published at Pen 18

athletes commission: PT Usha, Yogeshwar Dutt among eight SOMs picked by IOA Athletes Commission

Former sprint queen PT Usha and Olympic bronze-medallist wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt were among the eight sportspersons on Saturday selected by the newly elected Athletes’ Commission to vote during the Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) elections to be held on December 10. The other six SOMs are MM Somaya (hockey), Rohit Rajpal (tennis), Akhil Kumar (boxing), Suma Shirur (shooting), Aparna Popat (badminton) and Dola Banerjee (archery).

However, the names of the eight SOMs were yet to be officially notified by Justice (Retd) L Nageswara Rao, who was tasked by the Supreme Court to frame the IOA constitution and conduct elections.

Under the new constitution of the IOA drafted by Justice Rao, the eight SOMs, which will be part of the General Body with voting rights, have four male and four female members. The IOA has already approved the constitution under the mandatory direction of the Supreme Court.

“Yes, eight SOMs have been selected by the Athletes’ Commission and Justice LN Rao will notify the same,” a source in the know of the selection process told PTI on condition of anonymity. It (selection) was good. Over 70 former athletes applied for the eight SOM roles and the Athletes’ Commission of the IOA formed a five-member sub-committee to shortlist the candidates.

It is learned that some members of the Athletes’ Commission had insisted that the entire selection process – like criteria, points system – be made public.

The 10-member Athletes’ Commission was elected on 14 November. A day later, boxing legend MC Mary Kom was appointed its president, while table tennis ace Achanta Sharath Kamal was made its vice-president. Other members of the Athletes Commission are PV Sindhu, Shiva Keshavan, Mirabai Chanu, Gagan Narang, Rani Rampal, Bhavani Devi, Bajrang Lal and OP Karhana.

Originally published at Pen 18

world cup: Six possible breakout stars of the World Cup

The World Cup always provides a platform for young players to make a name for themselves and the younger generation will be eagerly waiting for the 2022 edition to begin on Sunday.

AFP Sport takes a look at six of the tournament’s potential breakout stars in Qatar hoping to follow in the footsteps of Pele and Kylian Mbappe.

Moises Caicedo (Ecuador) – Much of the focus in the opening match will be on hosts Qatar but Caedo will aim to run the game from Ecuador’s midfield. The 21-year-old has been a key player for Brighton in the Premier League since breaking into the first team last season. He has been linked with a possible move to several big clubs, most notably Liverpool. Caicedo has already made 25 international appearances, including 15 starts in Ecuador’s successful World Cup qualifying campaign. He is part of the Brighton trio in the Ecuadorian team along with Parvis Estupinen and Jeremy Sarmiento.

Jude Bellingham (England) – The Borussia Dortmund midfielder is fast becoming a global star and is still only 19 years old. He was a member of the England team that reached the final of last year’s European Championships but was behind Declan Rice and Calvin Phillips in the pecking order. Bellingham is now a surefire start for Gareth Southgate after a fine 12 months, capped by four goals in this season’s Champions League group stage. Real Madrid and Liverpool are reportedly among the teams chasing his signature and he could further boost any potential transfer fee by helping end England’s 56-year wait for a second World Cup title.

Cody Gakpo (Netherlands) — The 23-year-old winger made only a brief substitute appearance at Euro 2020 but is expected to feature far more heavily in Qatar. Gakpo has already scored 13 goals for PSV Eindhoven in all competitions this season, just seven less than his previous stint. With Memphis Depay out through September due to injury, Gakpo could start the Netherlands’ first half against Senegal on Monday.


Geo Reyna (United States) – Despite battling injuries in his short career so far, Reyna has always drawn praise for his performances for Dortmund. He made his league debut for Dortmund in January 2020 at the age of 17, becoming the youngest American to play in the Bundesliga, now holding international teammate Christian Pulisic’s record. Reyna, now 20, is likely to compete with Lille forward Timothy Weah and Leeds’ Brendan Aaronson for a spot in United’s starting line-up.

Jamal Musiala (Germany) — The 19-year-old made an impressive start to the campaign with Bayern Munich, scoring 12 goals and setting up a further nine goals. Musiala, who also played for England’s youth teams before declaring for Germany, could also start for Hansi Flick’s men at the expense of the experienced Thomas Müller. Germany may need to fire Musiala if they want to seal a record-equalling fifth World Cup, with Flick likely to play without the out-and-out striker following an injury to Timo Werner.

Mohammed Kudus (Ghana) — Kudus was still playing for Ajax’s youth team as of last year before making an impact on the big stage with four goals in this season’s Champions League. The 22-year-old from Accra has already made his mark for Ghana with five goals in 18 appearances. Kudus, along with the more experienced Andre Ayew and his brother Jordan, will be a key figure for the last African nation to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

Originally published at Pen 18

world cup: World Cup opens with host country Qatar facing Ecuador

Given the level of attention paid to the Qatari regime, its attitude towards human rights, migrant workers, the LGBTQ community – and beer – the World Cup host’s soccer team has slipped under the radar. Qatar opens the tournament against Ecuador on Sunday, but the build-up to that match has also been overshadowed by Friday’s announcement that the sale of beer will be banned inside the stadium grounds.

The World Cup is a source of immense national pride for Qatar in its effort to raise its profile on the global stage and move towards modernization. But what about the team? Qatar have never appeared in a World Cup before and face a formidable challenge to emerge from Group A, which also includes Senegal and the Netherlands. South Africa are the only host nation in 2010 to have failed to get past the group stage, so to avoid sharing that distinction would be success in itself.

Qatar’s best hope for a win on Sunday could be against an Ecuadorian team that is only five places above them at No. 44 in the FIFA rankings.

Qatar’s preparations for the tournament have been ongoing for several years, including participation in the 2019 Copa América and the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. But it was the win in the 2019 Asian Cup that gave evidence of the country’s ability to shock over the next few weeks. That continental title was masterminded by coach Felix Sanchez, who has been in the position since 2017 and was earlier in charge of the U-19 team.

The 46-year-old Spaniard learned his trade at Barcelona’s famed academy and his impact has been remarkable, with the Asian Cup success his standout moment. But the World Cup is another level altogether. “We try to maintain normalcy,” Sanchez told Spanish sports newspaper Marca. “We already know that there is pressure, and we don’t need to add to it. We have our own routines. We try to isolate ourselves from the noise around us and focus on doing our best.” .

“It’s difficult because then you go on the pitch, you see 60,000 people. It’s the first match of the World Cup and there are so many expectations it’s tough, but this experience will help them. Ecuador will hope to spoil the party – and has been talked about as a possible surprise package. But the team went into the World Cup in doubt over whether it would be allowed to compete after claims it fielded an ineligible player during qualifying Chile and Peru argued that defender Biron Castillo was in fact Colombian and had played in qualifying matches illegally. The Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected that claim.

Ecuador retained their place in the World Cup, but would be deducted three points before the start of qualifying for the 2026 tournament because Castillo’s use of incorrect information on his birthday and birthplace resulted in his passport being processed. Castillo was then left out of coach Gustavo Alfaro’s 26-man squad for Qatar. With so much attention being diverted off the field for both teams, Sunday’s opener will bring the conversation back to football.

Originally published at Pen 18