In the months leading up to the World Cup the print media world-wide hammered their readers with attacks on the host nation.
Specifically, the hosting selection was condemned, (rightly) re the bribes which secured it the Games. But that was ancient history and it was too late to undo.
Much more, we were constantly promised a fiasco because of an intolerable climate for both players and spectators, that no-one would come because of the Islamic requirement for good behaviour, modest attire and alcohol restraints, plus much more.
So how has it panned out? In my view it’s been the most joyous major sporting spectacle in history.
The players have plainly been unaffected by the heat. Likewise the spectators who have turned up in huge numbers to support their national teams and are visibly having a whale of a time without the need to glug beer. Their evident joy stands in raw contrast to the dour audience expressions in a rugby test for example, when the cameras flash to the stands. Furthermore the locals have joined in the spirit, intermixing with the visitors in the street, retying with much laughter their Arabic headgear (keffiyeh) properly for them and so on.
But best of all, the Games have delivered the biggest attraction sport can offer, namely spectacular upsets. Minnows have beaten top nations or held them to draws. No outcome prediction has been a safe bet.
In a deeply troubled world the Qatar Games have provided wonderful distraction relief. They will be the last like it due to their enormous cost, thus the next ones are being shared by Canada, Mexico and the USA.
So congratulations to Qatar which can add them to running the world’s best airline and the world’s best television news channel, specifically Al Jazeera.
There are many small population oil-rich nations, such as Kuwait, Norway, Abu Dhabi and others. Without exception they confine their wealth and investments to things solely for their own nations, as they’re entitled to.
Qatar seems determined to share their good fortune by doing things superbly to the wider world’s benefit.
7 Comments
Struck that nail perfectly Bob.
Totally agree especially re airline and Al Jazeera
Too right Sir Bob, power shift in sports moving to the middle east which has upset the establishment which in turn has called up the morale outrage mob, The likes of the UK get 20% of thier oil from Qatar . Which contriributes more to supporting this regime we supposedly dont agree with – giving them billions of dollars in oil trade or playing a game of football. Oh and who did Boris and Joe turn too when Russia dried up ? Didint hear anyone complainng about LGBTQ “rights” then did we?
By the way loving the tournament!
Almost best News TV. Aljazeera is still heavily supporting Western narratives with very few if any balancing articles.
Having said that. Its a low bar (balanced/objective good TV news)
Personally like WIOnews.com. They don’t seem so keen on regurgitating Western Narratives.
There is a little more to it than the gloss of the World Cup games. A number of the Human Rights Organisations believe that around 6500 migrant workers died in the construction of the stadiums and infrastructure. Seems a high price to pay.
Probably about the same number of New Zealanders who’ll die in the next five years from conditions that weren’t detected during our farcical lockdowns – or through the collapse of our healthcare as it’s slowly shifted into the hands of incompetent, dishonest maori. Actually 6500 may be a low number if we project out ten years. So stop weeping for the world and take a look at our own sorry state of affairs.
Great article Bob. That figure is overblown in a bullshit Guardian article written by an innumerate journalist. 6500 workers out of a population of around 2 million died over 10 years, which pretty much reflects normal mortality rates.