‘We’re ready to deliver at any time’

Qatar set to host FIFA World Cup in summer or winter, says organiser

DOHA: Qatar will be ready to host the 2022 World Cup finals whether the competition is played in summer or winter, said Nasser al Khater from the organising committee on Thursday.

Football's world governing body Fifa have launched a consultation process over whether the tournament should be moved from its habitual June and July dates to the winter to avoid the unbearable heat in the Gulf.

However, Al Khater says the uncertainty has had no impact on Qatar 2022's work thus far.

"Our plans are still to deliver the World Cup in the summer as we have bid and as we have promised," he said.

"And I think it's only right that if there will be a change that the international football community agrees amongst themselves and decides. For us we will be ready regardless of the date that they choose."

With that in mind, work is underway on the first stadium to be built for the tournament and Al Khater said that construction will accelerate in 2014.

"We will be announcing five more stadiums in 2014 and five stadiums will be in different sorts of levels of work in 2014," he stated.

"So this is the year where real progress will be showing on the ground."

Plans to cool the air inside the stadiums — one of the most eye-catching elements of Qatar's World Cup bid — will go ahead even with the doubt surrounding when the tournament will be played, with Al Khater emphasising the need to improve conditions for domestic competitions too.