Doha: The Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), Hassan Al Thawadi on Wednesday praised the great role of volunteers in the success of the exceptional and historic World Cup edition, which Qatar hosted from November 20 to December 18.
Al Thawadi, who was also President of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, described the volunteers as the beating heart of the tournament.
"Without the efforts of the volunteers, the success of the tournament would not have been possible. They practiced their work with unparalleled enthusiasm and passion, and their positive spirit overwhelmed the family atmosphere that characterized the World Cup. Qatar is proud of the cooperation with the volunteers that led to this historic achievement,"" Al Thawadi said.
For his part, FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the volunteers who participated in organizing the tournament as the best ever.
More than 20,000 volunteers from 150 countries participated in organizing the World Cup, and they were distributed to 25 sites, including the eight World Cup stadiums, hotels, Hamad International Airport, Doha International Airport, Doha Corniche, and the FIFA Fan Festival.
The volunteers carried out many different tasks, including ticket issuance, fan and media services, as well as protocol procedures. Volunteers also played an important role in creating a festive atmosphere during match days.
The volunteer program in the World Cup set a record in terms of the number of applicants, as volunteer requests exceeded 500 thousand requests for individuals of 209 nationalities, and interviews were conducted with more than 58 thousand candidates, and the volunteers who were selected participated in a training program before the start of the World Cup.
Regarding the volunteers' impressions of the tournament, Habib Khalfan, a Qatari citizen who volunteered at Al Bayt Stadium, said that he was overwhelmed by a torrent of mixed feelings prior to the opening of the tournament. He added that he learned many skills and made friends during the volunteering period.
Brazilian Braulio Marquez, one of the 3,000 international volunteers, said he had volunteered in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but at that time he did not live the World Cup atmosphere as he hoped, because the tournament was being held in his country. The Qatar World Cup was unique, and volunteers lived its full atmosphere and enjoyed daily communication with people from different cultures and the atmosphere of the World Cup in an unforgettable experience, he told QNA.
Pakistani volunteer Akniss Abdullina, who volunteered at Stadium 974, expressed her nostalgia for Qatar, adding that she really missed Qatar and the tournament would remain engraved in her heart and conscience.
Source: QNA
