London: Amid continued blockade of Qatar by its neighbors in the Middle East, wild speculations are being raised about whether the oil rich Gulf state will be able to host 2022 World Cup, with some media reports claiming that England might be prepared for the gala event.
“Qatar should never have got this competition in the first place. It’s way too hot in the summer and is nowhere near ready to host the world’s greatest sports event,” the Daily Star reported quoting un unnamed official who also said the country is "too risky".
“England is ready for football to come home. We are long overdue a World Cup and have a proven track record in hosting major sporting events like the Olympics,” the official who spoke to the Daily Star added.
The English official’s comments came just days after a report by the BBC revealed the possibility that Qatar may not host the World Cup in 2022 due to the political crisis with its Gulf neighbors, warning the construction companies from entering World Cup projects.
The report warned companies working in Doha’s $200bn (£153bn) infrastructure programmer calling it a “high-risk project”.
Entitled 'Qatar in focus: Is the Fifa World Cup 2022 in danger?', the report says, "Western diplomats have privately stated they do not know whether or not the tournament will take place as planned.
"The reasons for this are many and include open allegations of corruption - both in the bidding process and in the infrastructure development," the report said.
However, in a statement, Qatar 2022's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy questioned the motives of the report, and said the authors had an "affiliation to the countries blockading Qatar".
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Yemen and Egypt severed ties with Qatar in June over Doha’s past of supporting and financing terrorism in the region.
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