Confused situation in Qatar. Confused and uncertain. The Gulf micro-state, which has become one of the centerpieces on the world sport stage, has been experiencing an unprecedented situation of diplomatic isolation for two weeks. Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Yemen and Saudi Arabia have cut all relations with Doha. Its neighbors accuse Qatar of financing terrorism and of being too close to Iran. And yet, a miracle of football, everything seems to be moving like clockwork in the preparation for the 2022 World Cup.
At the beginning of June, at the start of the crisis, FIFA announced via a very stingy press release in words and comments that it “was in very regular contact with the local organizing committee. » It’s difficult to be more opaque. Thursday June 15, the executive director of the organizing committee, Ghanim al-Kuwari, broke the silence to assure, with a hand on his heart, that the current situation had “no negative impact on the preparation of the World Cup 2022.”
According to the Qatari, the isolation which envelops the country in no way affects the construction work on football stadiums. 5 years from the event, the projects would be 45% complete. The work continues, says Ghanim al-Kuwari, with no sign of slowing down. Certainly, access roads from Saudi Arabia are blocked, preventing the entry of materials. “But we found alternative sources of supply,” he explained to Reuters. And we now manufacture some of the materials in the country. »
Before the crisis began, Qatar transported stocks by land. From now on, it is turning towards the sea. In Doha, the Hamad port has been operating at full capacity for two weeks.
Officially, everything is fine. On construction sites, workers are not threatened with technical unemployment. At FIFA, the telephone line between Zurich and Doha presents no anomalies. However, the institution of football will very quickly find itself faced with a problem.
Tuesday June 13, the players of the Qatar national team appeared on the pitch, during the warm-up before their match against South Korea in qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, dressed in white t-shirts depicting the portrait of Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani (photo above). Later, during the match, midfielder Hasan Al-Haydos waved the t-shirt towards the crowd, after opening the scoring with a free kick.
The only problem, but a major one: FIFA prohibits any political, religious or commercial message on players' outfits. Under these regulations, the Qatar team risks disciplinary sanctions. She could be suspended. What will FIFA’s attitude be? By applying the rule, it would further harden Qatar's isolation, adding a sporting layer to the diplomatic boycott. By showing clemency, she would once again favor a state and a federation that are too rich to be completely honest.
In Lausanne, the IOC does not encounter the same problem. He has others. But the situation in Qatar is being closely observed. Thursday June 15, the spokesperson for the Olympic organization, Mark Adams, expressed “the hope that the diplomatic and economic boycott imposed on Qatar by its Gulf neighbors will not slow down the development of sport in the region. » Cautiously, Mark Adams clarified to Reuters that the IOC remained “politically neutral and continued to maintain relationships with all national Olympic committees in the region. » Clearly, there is no question of sanctioning Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen or Bahrain, for their attitude towards the richest and most influential sporting country in the Gulf.
In the short term, the crisis in Qatar could affect the sports movement far beyond the Middle East. In 2017 alone, the country hosts 72 competitions, 39 of which are on the international calendar. In 2019, Doha is due to host the IAAF World Athletics Championships.
