Sports

25 October 2022; MEMO: Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani that his country has been subjected to an unprecedented smear campaign since the announcement that it would be hosting the 2022 World Cup. This is the first time the World Cup is being organised in an Arab country and in the Middle East.

The emir's statement was made during the opening of the 51st ordinary session of the elected Shura Council.

18 October 2022; MEMO: Ticket sales for the soccer World Cup are approaching the three million mark ahead of the tournament kicking off in Qatar on 20 November, FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, and event organisers said on Monday, Reuters reports.

The top 10 purchasing countries of the 2.89 million tickets sold are Qatar, the United States, Saudi Arabia, England, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, France, Brazil and Germany, FIFA's World Cup Chief Operating Officer, Colin Smith, told a news conference in Doha.

11 October 2022; MEMO: Flight bookings to Qatar are booming for the soccer World Cup being held in November and December, with particularly strong demand from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as fans work round a shortage of accommodation in Doha, a study showed on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

Flight bookings to Qatar from the UAE and nine other countries have risen ten-fold compared with before the pandemic, travel analysis group, ForwardKeys, said.

5 October 2022; MEMO: Saudi Arabia has won the bid to host the Asian Winter Games in 2029 at its planned megacity, NEOM, making it the first Arab and Middle Eastern country set to do so.

The development was announced by Saudi Sports Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, on Twitter, where he stated that "With the unlimited support by the Saudi leadership & HRH Crown Prince [Mohammed bin Salman] to the sports sector we are proud to announce we have won the bid to host AWG TROJENA2029 as the first country in west Asia".

3 October 2022; MEMO: Regional rivals Algeria and Morocco plan to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after Guinea was stripped of the right to organise the football tournament.

Algerian Minister of Youth and Sports, Abderrazak Sebgag, said the North African country will apply to host the prestigious continental competition, which only Algeria hosted once in 1990.

29 Sep 2022; MEMO: The CEO of the Qatar World Cup, Nasser Al-Khater, said he expects to reap profits of up to $9 billion from organising the 2022 World Cup.

During an interview with the Baad Ams (After Yesterday) podcast on Al Jazeera on Tuesday, Al-Khater said that the cost of the World Cup projects and expenses amount to about $8 billion, adding that this is less than previous tournaments held in Brazil and Russia.

29 Sep 2022; MEMO: Fans attending the World Cup in Qatar must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test, regardless of their vaccination status, organisers said in a statement on Thursday, Reuters reports.

All visitors aged six and over must present a negative result from a PCR test taken within 48 hours before their departure, or from a rapid antigen test taken in the 24 hours before arriving, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy said.

29 Sep 2022; MEMO: A high-level Turkish security delegation arrived in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Tuesday to discuss cooperation in securing the 2022 World Cup due to begin in November.

"Within the framework of security cooperation between Turkey and Qatar, the first high-level delegation of General Directorate of Security from Turkey arrived in Doha," the Turkish embassy in Doha said on Twitter.

According to the embassy, Turkey's Ambassador in Doha, Dr. Mustafa Goksu, and embassy officials received the team.

Saudi Arabia's women's national football team made history yesterday after playing their first ever international fixture on home soil.

The team known as the Green Falcons, led by German coach Monika Staab drew 3-3 with visitors Bhutan at the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium in Abha with a late equaliser in the 90th minute by Noura Al-Ibrahim. The Saudi team will face the same opponents again on Wednesday.

25 Sep 2022; MEMO: Egypt has announced plans to host the 2036 Summer Olympics said Sports Minister Ashraf Soby yesterday during a reception in Cairo for International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach.

"President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has given his permission for Egypt to put itself forward as host for the 2036 Olympics," Sobhi said. President Sisi was also in attendance at the meeting along with Egyptian Olympic officials.