Pakistanis take a slice of FIFA World Cup fun

Students assist in engineering, IT, hospitality, and broadcasting for mega event’s success in Qatar

QATAR:

Hundreds of Pakistani students and expats in Qatar are working tirelessly to ensure the success of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

Along with many students who are enthusiastically assisting in engineering, IT, hospitality, and broadcasting for the success of this major event, the Pakistani community in Qatar is also supporting this much-anticipated and watched tournament.

Though the Pakistan football team could not make it to an international FIFA event, the country always remained in the news for producing high-quality footballs for international teams and events in collaboration with Adidas and Forward Sports, a Sialkot-based local sports products producer.

Speaking to a news agency, a media professional, Maryam Khalid, who works as a commentary assistant for Qatar's broadcasting department, believes that her experience as an intern at the Qatar FIFA event will help her achieve her future objectives. In response to a query, Maryam said, "We were trained by professionals, and FIFA staff always remains attached to us to resolve any problem beyond our understanding."

Muhammad Saad, another overseas Pakistani, who is participating in the FIFA World Cup 2022 as a volunteer in the Legal Department, said his selection was a great pleasure and an exposure to get involved in such a historic event in the Gulf. The opportunity, he said, had provided him the confidence to play a lead role.

Also read: FIFA WORLD CUP 2022: IT’S SPORTS BEFORE POLITICS, UNTIL IT ISN’T

An intern, Abu Bakar Majeed Bin Abdul Rab, a student of BSc Computer Engineering, said he was assisting the Host Broadcasting Services, a company that has managed some of the most prestigious sporting events around the world, including the FIFA World Cup.

Abu Bakar said the FIFA World Cup 2022 being hosted in Qatar was not only a moment of utmost pride for the State of Qatar but for the entire Muslim world. "The nation is currently holding the greatest sporting event on the planet," he remarked.

However, he regretted that the Pakistan Football Team could not become a part of this tournament and hoped the national team would one day make it into the FIFA Cup as he believed, "The nation has true potential to excel in any field of life." Adnan Khan, a PhD student at Hamad bin Khalifa University, said, "Soccer unites people of different cultures and backgrounds."

“As expatriates living in Qatar, we all share the responsibility and the common goal of making this World Cup memorable for everyone who comes here to witness this extraordinary event.”

Shaukat Chandna, in a statement to the Qatar Tribune, representing the Pakistani community, said that every country in the world, not just football-playing ones, was contributing in some form or another to make this the "best-ever" sporting extravaganza of our times and lives.

"Pakistan has contributed in a very significant manner by crafting the finest footballs with machines and hands." Smile at everyone, enjoy the experience of a lifetime, and have fun. It is pertinent to mention here that an uncountable number of Pakistani interns, volunteers, and residents have unanimously and voluntarily extended their services to the authorities in Qatar “to make the FIFA World Cup 2022 a big success.”