Qatar 2022: Compactness of the tournament is one of the most unique aspects

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Bengaluru, July 16: The compact nature of the Qatar 2022 World Cup and the winter climate were some of the unique aspects that will give additional flexibility while scheduling the matches for the quadrennial extravaganza, said a top FIFA official.

The Qatar 2022 World Cup will be held from November 21 to December 18 as in a break from tradition, the tournament, which will last for only 28 days, was pushed back to a winter window because of the scorching summer temperatures in the Middle East country.

The organisers are building only eight stadiums for the tournament and are promising to deliver the completed venues two years before the kick off while the schedule for the tournament had a slice of history with four matches a day going to be held for the first time in World Cup history.

Work is going on at a frenetic pace at the most of the venues despite the novel coronavirus pandemic as the organisers have promised that the venues (three of which are already complete) will strictly comply with the post-COVID-19 health protocols.

Though hosting four matches in a day is a first-of-its-kind in World Cup history, FIFA Chief Tournaments and Events Officer and World Cup Qatar LLC (Q22) Managing Director Colin Smith said the tournament's compact nature makes scheduling an easy task.

"There's a number of factors which give us this additional flexibility than we would normally have. Firstly, the compact nature of Qatar: all the stadiums are within a compact radius, meaning travel for fans and teams is obviously very easy, there're no flights to be taken and no long travels to be undertaken.

Also the climate is perfect at that time of year in Qatar, whether it's an early kick-off or a late kick-off. So there're no technical aspects which affect this," Smith was quoted as saying by the local organising wing -- Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) -- website.

Al Bayt Stadium, a 60,000-capacity arena that takes its name and shape from the traditional tents used by nomadic peoples in the Gulf region, will be the stage for Qatar to kick off the World Cup and the SC along with other stake holders are gearing up for it.

"Qatar 2022 will be different from other previous FIFA tournaments in many different factors, but two main ones - operational point of view and experience point of view.

"The compact nature of the tournament gives it a unique spirit. Fans can watch more than one match a day. They don't have to worry about travel, changing accommodation. Due to its very compact nature, the Qatar 2022 World Cup will be more affordable and accessible to fans," said SC General Secretary Hassan Al Thawadi.