The Qatar Football Association (QFA) has handed over the fourth and final part of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 bid file. The 20 original bid book documents were handed over by His Excellency (H.E.) Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Malaysia Fahd bin Mohammed Kafoud.
This concluding part of the file - handed over according to the schedule approved by the AFC - includes all obligations sought by the Asian football body. The last step is a confirmation from the QFA of its commitment to fulfilling all hosting requirements, following the schedule approved by the AFC. It coincides with the celebrations of the Qatar National Day which is marked on 18 December every year.
QFA remains confident that - in line with its endeavour to organise the tournament according to the highest international standards - the AFC Asian Cup 2027 will become one of the many top sports events the country has staged, should hosting rights be awarded to the QFA. Major AFC tournaments already held in Qatar include the AFC Asian Cup 1988 and 2011 editions, as well as the AFC Champions League matches of the West Zone and the East Zone in 2020.
لم نخلف الوعد يوماً ولطالما كنا جاهزين قبل الحدث بكثير.. ماضينا يشهد ومستقبلنا مع كأس العالم FIFA قطر 2022™ يؤكد.. آسيا 2027 نحن بانتظارك#QatarBid2027 #QatarFootball@qatarbid2027 pic.twitter.com/xhObpvI04m
— الاتحاد القطري لكرة القدم (@QFA) December 13, 2020
H.E. President of Qatar Football Association Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Thani said:
"Qatar will be ready to host the nineteenth edition of the Asian Cup for national teams, taking advantage of the modern sports facilities that will stage the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 matches. Qatar is keen to leave a lasting legacy for the Asian football family by delivering a memorable AFC Asian Cup in 2027. Creating a sports legacy that benefits future generations is part of the 2030 Qatar National Vision."
He added:
"Qatar is currently working on preparations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 by developing state-of-the-art infrastructure, including a major-road network to connect the entire country and a significant expansion in the number of hotel rooms. The Metro service is already in use, helping hundreds of thousands of professionals commute between their home and workplace. The final part of our bid file shows that Qatar is determined to stage the AFC Asian Cup 2027 in a manner that reflects the high standards we uphold when staging top international sports events on our soil. The AFC Asian Cup 2027 will be no exception."
"We have worked tirelessly to prepare a comprehensive bid file that meets all hosting criteria through coordination with all authorities in the country. We extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to the authorities for the efforts they have made in preparing this bid file. We look forward to working with them as we look to secure the rights to host the AFC Asian Cup 2027, God willing."
It is worth noting that the QFA handed over the first part of its bid file on 26 August 2020, underlining its desire to host Asia's biggest national team event, followed by the second part covering legal requirements on 29 October 2020, and the third part showcasing the government guarantee requirements on 26 November 2020.
The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), the entity responsible for implementing the projects of the FIFA World Cup (Qatar 2022), underlined its full support to Qatar's bid file to host the AFC Asian Cup 2027, handed over by Qatar Football Association (QFA) to Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
H.E. Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy Hassan Al Thawadi underlined that Qatar has extensive experience in organizing and hosting major regional and international sports events, pointing to Qatar's continuous keenness on investing the power of football and its popularity to serve societies and individuals around the world.
In press statements, H.E. Al Thawadi looked forward to hosting regional and international tournaments after Qatar 2022, and making the most of the World Cup legacy, such as tournament facilities and infrastructure projects, as well as continuing to launch the Football for Development program initiatives which aim for creating positive impacts on societies around the world.
H.E. Al Thawadi stressed the Supreme Committee's readiness to provide full support for Qatar's bid to host the AFC Asian Cup 2027, noting that the Committee is looking forward to sharing its experiences and knowledge gained during the 2022 World Cup hosting with those in charge of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup bid and standing by them so that this important step culminates in the desired success.
For his part, CEO of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Nasser Al Khater said that football has witnessed a remarkable development in the State of Qatar since the announcement that the country won the right to host the World Cup in 2010, indicating that the combined efforts of experts and specialists, in addition to the advanced and world-class infrastructure, contribute greatly to hosting the largest sporting event in the world in 2022, bearing in mind the importance that the tournament leaves Qatar with a valuable and sustainable legacy that is not limited to football.
He underlined that Qatar possesses all the elements that qualify it to host the best edition in the history of the Asian Cup, noting that Qatar has everything that would contribute to the success of the AFC Asian Cup 2027, such as stadiums, training venues, advanced technologies, in addition to human competencies and extensive experience in organizing international and regional tournaments.
He added that the AFC Asian Cup occupies a special place in the hearts of football fans in Qatar, stressing that the Committee will provide all support for Qatar's bid to win the right to organize the tournament for the third time.
Qatar promises football fans an exceptional experience in the AFC Asian Cup 2027, as they will have the opportunity to benefit from the stadiums and the various facilities and infrastructure projects that were built specifically to host the 2022 World Cup.
Qatar hosted the AFC Asian Cup twice in 1988 and 2011. The Qatari team is participating in the next edition holding the Asian champion title after it won the championship in 2019.
Source: QNA
Cover image credit: Shutterstock
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