The build-up to the World Cup in Qatar was tarnished with accusations of bribery and corruption in the bidding process and severe human rights abuses in the construction of the stadiums.
The organisers were probably hoping that once the tournament started those issues would fade into the background as the country delivered a spectacle worthy of the one of the greatest sporting events in the world.
But the first few days of the competition have been spoiled as attendees continue to report problems, such as fans being unable to access tickets, poor accommodation conditions, logistical problems, and the heavy-handed enforcement of rules regarding attire.
The Qataris didn’t do themselves any favours when they announced in the 11th hour that they were reneging on their promise to serve alcohol in specific areas outside stadiums, to the surprise of both FIFA and Budweiser, one of the tournaments premier sponsors.
A well-placed anonymous source in Qatar, who works for one of the tournaments main sponsors, was keen to speak to us about the problems experienced by some of his clients.
“The beer being taken away has been the least of our problems because a lot of our clients are in hospitality, so it hasn’t affected that many of them.
“But accommodation has become a real issue. Our clients that are staying in hotels or apartments are fine, but the living conditions in some of the fan parks is far below what was advertised.
“The construction in some of these places clearly isn’t complete, and we have clients paying hundreds of pounds a night to essentially stay in tents that aren’t air conditioned and have very few amenities.
“Shared toilets and washrooms that aren’t clean, poor quality food being provided, no hot water, and ridiculous temperatures in the morning with only a fan and no air conditioning have made things very uncomfortable.”
As these problems continue to mount, and the eyes of the western media remain squarely focused on Qatar for the next four weeks, it remains to be seen whether any of these issues will be addressed, and whether the hosts will be able to deliver on the spectacle that they promised.
