The 2022 World Cup is only a day away from kick-off. One of the world’s greatest sporting extravaganza is all set to roll in a tiny Middle-East nation which is awash with excitement.
The World Cup is truly a global festival and the 2022 edition is one of the first big-ticket events to be held with unrestricted access to fans. And for the hosts Qatar, this is the culmination of over 12 years of hard work (possibly even more) ever since they won the bid in 2010.
Qatar’s journey from a tiny Middle-East nation to World Cup hosts has been fraught with challenges and obstacles, which they’ve systematically overcome.
And chronicling the history of Qatar and its journey as a World Cup host is a compelling book named “Qatar 2022: The Tiny Nation That Dreamed Big’, written by ND Prashant.
About the author
The author has more than two decades’ experience in sports journalism and is worked for leading publications in and out of India. Having covered various global sporting events like Olympics, Paralympic Games, FIFA Club World Cup, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and more, Prashant has brought about all his know-how into penning the inside and background story of how Qatar dreamed big and achieved it.
From the Bedouins to world class infrastructure
The initial part of the book gives readers an insight into Qatar’s history and its rise as a rich and nation. ND Prashant’s research takes us through a story woven in time. He talks about how the Bedouins used to hunt pearls in the gulf and how the country’s prospects changed when they struck oil.
The book touches upon the Qatar royal family’s story and how they rose in stature and power to lead Qatar into a modern world including laying the groundwork for world class football infrastructure. The book also debunks the myth that Qatari people do not have passion for the game of football, detailing how they used to play football in the deserts of Dukhan.
2006 Asian Games and Aspire Academy
ND Prashant specifically highlights the 2006 Asian Games in Doha and the Aspire Academy as the cornerstones of Qatar’s bid to become a sporting hub. Both these factors have been crucial to Qatar’s winning bid to host the 2022 World Cup.
12 years of preparations
While the initial parts of the article talks about how Qatar came to dream big, the majority of the book is dedicated towards how Qatar achieved that dream.
Prashant details every minute factor that Qatar have faced, challenged and overcome in a manner that is compelling.
The rise of the current Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, since he came to power in 2013 and his support for the World Cup has been well documented.
Prashant’s book talks about the economic blockade Qatar faced in the middle of its World Cup preparations from its neighbours and details how the country organised a futuristic World Cup despite these crippling sanctions.
It is not to say the author does not talk about the controversies that have surrounded the World Cup. He touches upon the migrant worker issue that has been a talking point all over the world for more than few years now, including how human rights commissions trained their guns on Qatar on this.
He also touches upon the bribery accusations against Qatar and the now banned Asian Football Confederation president Mohammed bin Hammam.
Qatar’s growth as a soft power
More importantly, Prashant also touches upon Qatar’s growth as a soft power in the recent few years, especially its emergence as a sporting hub, especially during the Covid-19 crisis.
The book talks about Qatar’s investments across various sports and how Qatar has become an important power in the region, helping US withdraw its forces from Afghanistan and its gains following the Ukraine-Russia war.
“We are going to new lands,” is what then FIFA President Sepp Blatter said in 2010 when awarding Qatar the 2022 World Cup. This book by ND Prashant is a story of how the World Cup went to a new land.
The book is out in stores and is available online on popular e-commerce platforms!
