Doha, May 29 (IANS) Qatar on Friday defended the legitimacy of its 2022 World Cup bid and the country’s compliance with the “highest ethical standards” in winning the role of host — assertions made in light of recent scandals that have engulfed FIFA.
“We wish to reiterate that we have fully complied with every investigation that has been initiated concerning the 2018-22 bidding process and will continue to do so, should this be requested,” said a statement released by Qatar’s World Cup organising committee, reports Efe.
“Our aim through hosting the FIFA World Cup is to utilise the positive power of sport to unify people and demonstrate the passion for football in our region to a global audience.”
The statement was in response to accusations about the choice of Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup while the Arab country insists that its goal is to be a “platform for accelerating positive change”.
Swiss authorities arrested seven FIFA officials on Wednesday in Zurich upon the request of the United States judiciary, which initiated an investigation regarding several counts of corruption.
Since then, there have been calls to postpone the 65th FIFA Congress on Friday which will elect a new FIFA president, in addition to requests for the resignation of current FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who seeks to be re-elected for a fifth term and whose only opponent is the Jordanian Prince Ali bin al-Hussein.