The number of stadiums that will feature in the 2022 World Cup still hangs in the balance and will not be finalised until next year, according to Nasser Al Khater, executive director for marketing at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

It has been widely reported that Qatar plans to drastically scale down its ambitious venue plans for the 2022 World Cup. These reports were sparked by comments made by the Supreme Committee’s senior manager for projects at a conference on 23rd April, who stated that only eight stadiums would be used. 

With the Supreme Committee having neither discounted this possibility nor given reasons why cutting back to eight stadiums might be an option, the international sports event community has come up with its own suggestions, with cost control being considered to be a possible motivation.

Addressing such “speculation”, Al Khater said “That’s not true actually.”

Speaking to delegates at Soccerex Asian Forum on Tuesday, he said “In our bid, as FIFA stipulates, we proposed a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 18.”

The minimum number of stadiums required by FIFA is eight and this figure remains a possibility. 

“In 2015, will decide alongside FIFA how many need for the World Cup,” he said.

Al Khater was speaking in place of Hasan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, who was unable to attend the event.

Al Khater also took the opportunity to set the record straight on reports of poor workers’ welfare on World Cup construction projects. 

“Contrary to what international media says, there is no single injury or death on World Cup projects,” he said.

“However, from the very beginning we have taken the issue of workers’ welfare very seriously,”

Although civic infrastructure developments are progressing rapidly in Qatar, construction has not started on World Cup sites. Only one of the new stadiums, Al Wakrah, is under construction.

By the end of 2014, five World Cup stadiums will be under construction, Al Khater told delegates.

Visitors to Casa da Russia – or House of Russia –  will be able to enjoy reading HOST CITY magazine, which is renowned for its insights into the business of hosting major sporting events. 

Casa da Russia will hosted in Rio de Janeiro's Museum of Modern Art and operated by Eventica Communications.

“With facilities for media, government offices, hospitality lounges and a programme of events for Russian and international guests, the Casa da Russia will be Russia’s home from home at Brazil 2014, and will provide a perfect opportunity for Russia – the next host country of the FIFA World Cup – to showcase preparations and the host cities of Russia 2018,” Eventica said.

As part of the partnership, HOST CITY will also preview activities at Casa da Russia as part of its online news coverage of the 2014 Brazil World Cup. 

During the World Cup, matches will be broadcast live on big screens. Casa da Russia also promises to host a Russian cultural extravaganza, with guest musicians, bands, DJs and artists participating in a month-long celebration of Russia.

Baltika has signed as the exclusive Beer Partner for Casa da Russia, following successful partnerships with Eventica over many years, including at the Russian Winter Festival in London’s Trafalgar Square from 2005 to 2008 and at Russia.Sochi.Park – the official Russian hospitality venues in London during the 2012 Olympic Games.

The accreditation process for the press centre at Casa da Russia is already open. In the first week of opening, the organisers Eventica Communications registered 160 Russian and British journalists from media including O Globo, TV Record Brasília, Sky Sports, Sportbox, Russia Today, Sport FM and many more. 

For more information visit http://www.eventica.co.uk/?p=5817#more-5817

Environmental and infrastructure work at Strathclyde Loch, the host venue of the Commonwealth Games Triathlon event, has progressed to the point where Games organisers have announced that it will be ready to test on May 24th.

Glasgow 2014 is preparing the loch to comply with the standards set by the International Triathlon Union.  The loch has in the past suffered from high levels of blue-green algae. 

To prevent algae blooms from happening during the 2014 Commonwealth Games, a designated swim area has been created, separated from the main loch using a series of engineered physical barriers.

The separated area of water was then treated with Phoslock, a non-toxic phosphorous reducing chemical. This chemical treatment was also used to prepare the Serpentine Loch for the London 2012  Olympic Games Triathlon and Marathon Swim competitions. 

In addition to the ongoing water treatment works, roads, paths and venue infrastructure are being upgraded to maintain Strathclyde Park’s status as one of Scotland’s premier watersports centres and a proven world-class Triathlon venue.

 “I am truly excited at the prospect of world-class athletes striving for Gold and glory during the Games, which was the driving force for all the work done,” said Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive David Grevemberg.

“We are grateful to all our Partners and stakeholders, including the Scottish Government and North Lanarkshire Council, during a combined effort from all parties to prepare the Loch to international standards.

A company called Sniffer has played a major role in the works. “Sniffer has worked with all the partners to facilitate a practical and cost-effective approach to preparing the loch and wider area for the triathlon events within a tight timeframe,” said Ruth Wolstenholme, Managing Director Sniffer. 

“We are very pleased with the progress and are confident that the events will be a great credit to Strathclyde Park and those who have worked to ensure their success.”

The Invitational Triathlon takes place at Strathclyde Country Park on Saturday 24 May. “The event will provide an opportunity to validate our Games Time policies and procedures to ensure we are in a position to deliver the best competition experience during the Glasgow 2014 Triathlon event,” said the Organsing Committee, which is hosting the test event.

During the Games, the Triathlon takes place on July 24 and July 26, with three medal events including the new Mixed Team Relay making its Commonwealth Games debut.

More than 100,000 extra tickets across all 17 sports, including Triathlon as well as both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, will be available from 10 AM on Monday 12 May on a first-come, first-served basis.

FIFA has sent bidding documents to 31 member associations that have declared their interest in hosting eight tournaments. 

The relevant member associations now have to sign and return the documents before the FIFA Executive Committee begins the process of assigning the hosting rights.

The available events include the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the 2018 U-20 Women’s World Cup, the 2018 U-17 Women’s World Cup and the 2015-2019 Club World Cups. An unprecedented 12 countries have put themselves forward for the 2017 Beach Soccer World Cup.

FIFA has made it clear that it would prefer the 2019 Women’s World Cup and the 2018 U-20 Women’s World Cup to take place in the same country. Four countries have put themselves forward for these two events, namely England, France, Korea Republic, New Zealand and South Africa. 

South Africa has also declared an interest in the 2019 Women’s World Cup, hopeful that its hosting of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2016 will enable it to qualify to host the 2019 Women’s World Cup. 

For the 2018 U-17 Women’s World Cup, FIFA has received five declarations of interest, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Finland, Northern Ireland and Sweden. 

The deadline for submitting the hosting agreement together with all the signed bidding documents for all of the women’s events is 31 October 2014. The election of the host nations is scheduled to take place at the first FIFA Executive Committee meeting in 2015.

The 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup has attracted a particularly large pool of associations, with 12 countries hoping to host the tournament: Argentina, Bahamas, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, UAE and USA. 

All bidding and hosting documents for the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup must be signed and submitted by 1 October 2014. The FIFA Executive Committee will appoint the host at its meeting in December 2014.

FIFA has also opened the bidding process for four editions of the FIFA Club World Cup. India and Japan have put themselves forward for the tournament in 2015 and 2016, while Brazil, Japan and UAE are aiming for 2017 and 2018. 

The deadline for submitting the bidding documents is 25 August 2014 and the host will be selected by the Executive Committee in September 2014.

“FIFA is delighted to see the impressive interest from its member associations in hosting a FIFA competition,” football’s world governing body said in a statement.

The International Triathlon Union [ITU], the sports federation that governs the Olympic sport of Triathlon, has hired Vero Communications to develop an international communications strategy, liaise with international sports media and promote the federation. 

Vero will also help boost the ITU’s profile on social media platforms and work on a digital media strategy to increase public engagement worldwide.

“Since Triathlon joined the Olympic Programme at Sydney 2000, the sport has grown in popularity around the world,” said Marisol Casado, ITU President and IOC Member for Spain. “ITU is immensely proud of Triathlon’s Olympic and Paralympic status and we look forward to continuing the sport’s development internationally and engaging new participants and fans.

“With Vero’s proven expertise in international sport, combined with the work of the ITU team, we know we have a very strong group to help us grow our communications and engagement over the coming years.”

Vero, based in London and led by chairman Mike Lee OBE, works with a number of international sports federations as well as cities bidding for mega-events, including Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018 and Qatar 2022.

“The federation has a real ambition to harness the appeal of Triathlon in existing markets and spread the message of the sport to new parts of the world,” said Lee. “ITU has a very positive story to tell and our role will be to help ensure that this story is communicated effectively to international sporting stakeholders, media and fans.”

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday awarded NBCUniversal the US broadcast rights for the Olympic Games through to 2032.

The deal covers all media platforms, including free-to-air television, subscription television, internet and mobile. The agreement will run from 2021 to 2032, extending an agreement in 2011 which gave NBCU the right to broadcast the Olympic Games until 2020. 

NBCU will now broadcast every Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games through to 2032, regardless of which host cities are elected to host these events.

The deal is valued at US$ 7.65bn with an extra US$100m signing bonus that will be used to promote Olympism and the Olympic values between 2015 and 2020, the IOC said in a statement.

“This agreement is excellent news for the entire Olympic Movement as it helps to ensure its financial security in the long term, in particular future host cities of the Olympic Games, the athletes of the 204 National Olympic Committees and the International Sports Federations,” said IOC President Thomas Bach, who led the negotiations.

“The IOC has worked in close partnership with NBC for many decades, and we are thrilled we will continue to work with them through to 2032. NBC’s expertise in sports broadcasting, as well as their passion for the Olympic values, will mean we shall be able continue to offer first-class broadcast coverage of the Olympic Games to the widest possible American audience for many years to come.”

Steve Burke, CEO, NBCUniversal, said: “The Olympics are part of the fabric of our company, and we couldn’t be more excited that today’s announcement guarantees that this massively popular and profitable programming will continue to air every two years on the broadcast, cable, digital and mobile platforms of NBCUniversal for the next two decades."

NBCU first broadcast the Olympic Games in Tokyo 1964. By 2032, it will have covered a total of 23 editions of the world’s biggest multisport event.

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy has awarded HBK Contracting Company the enabling works contract for Al Wakrah stadium, the first proposed host venue to be delivered ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The contract was awarded through a tender process designed to attract Qatari contractors with local knowledge and proven capability in delivering the required services, as part of the Supreme Committee’s legacy initiative to develop the private sector.

The enabling works phase begins in May and is due for completion by around March 2015. During this period, HBK will deliver bulk earthworks including site clearance, excavation and disposal, fill, as well as underground services and stadium foundations. The foundation works will be marked by a ceremony in September.

The main construction company for the stadium will be announced at the end of 2014. The successful candidate for this tender will partner with a local business, in line with the Supreme Committee’s effort to boost the expansion of the Qatar economy.

“We are excited to announce the next stage of works for Al Wakrah Stadium and look forward to continued progress on the ground this year,” said Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy. “The stadium and surrounding precinct will leave a social legacy in Al Wakrah and by appointing HBK, a Qatari company, we aim to also contribute to the economic legacy of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.”

H.E. Sheikh Ali Bin Hamad K. Al-Thani, President of HBK, said: “We are honoured and excited to be appointed by the Supreme Committee as the contractor for this critical first phase of works on the road to the FIFA World Cup in 2022, and look forward to working closely with all stakeholders to help build the first World Cup in the Middle East and achieve our country’s ambitions.  We thank the Supreme Committee for giving us this opportunity to be involved in this most celebrated journey.”

The 40,000-seat stadium, future home of Al Wakrah Sports Club, was the first of Qatar’s FIFA World Cup proposed venues to be revealed. The stadium will be surrounded by approximately 560,000 m2 (60-hectare) of legacy precinct with a new sports centre and community hub. The precinct will deliver a range of community facilities, including a park, mosque, school, hotel, wedding hall, vocational training centre and retail outlets. 

Following the tournament, the stadium’s capacity will be reduced to 20,000 with the extra modular seats removed, re-configured and donated to countries in need of sporting infrastructure, in consultation with FIFA and the continental football confederations.

After an initial inspection during the tendering process of the facility where the HBK workers on the Al Wakrah project will be housed, HBK confirmed their commitment to adhere to the Supreme Committee's Workers’ Welfare Standards, working closely with representatives of the Workers’ Welfare Committee to ensure that the health, safety and dignity of workers on the project are further protected.

Farah Al-Muftah, Chairwoman of the Workers’ Welfare Committee, said: “We started a dialogue with HBK on our expectation for workers welfare during the tendering process and we are encouraged by the company’s commitment to creating a healthy and safe environment for workers on the Al Wakrah Stadium project.”

As Qatar’s preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup enter the construction phase, the World Stadium Congress brings architects, solutions providers and stadium operations consultants to Doha on 19th May 2014. 

This year’s World Stadium Congress, organised by IQPC, will focus on stadium design, sustainability and construction challenges. 

ASTAD Project Management's H.E. Ali Bin Nasser Al Khalifa and SPOR SANAYI's Yasar Meral will open the first day of the conference with keynotes on world-class sporting infrastructure. 

H.E. Ali Bin Nasser will provide an insight into the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup in Qatar in a session titled "Delivering world-class infrastructure to support Qatar 2022."

“Exceptional project management will play a critical role in the delivering a memorable mega-event," said H.E. Ali Bin Nasser. 

"We will draw from ASTAD's significant experience building sports facilities in Qatar, but it is also important for senior stakeholders within the industry to share their expertise and knowledge so that we may identify solutions to common challenges and ensure continuous improvement in design and construction."

Tariq Al Abudulla, General Manager of the Qatar Olympic Academy and Head of Technical Affairs at the Qatar Olympic Committee, will follow with a keynote address on Day Two, laying out the Qatar Olympic Academy's unique Sport Venue Management programme.

Other speakers include Jon Sellins, head of business development consultancy at Wembley Stadium, who will draw from the Champions League Final 2013 to convey best practices in hosting and facilitating major sporting events.

Sustainability is the keyword at this year's conference. "It is important to us that the lasting impact of our stadiums on the community is a positive one," said Diogo Taddei, architecture manager at AECOM, Brazil. 

"In designing the sporting and non-competition facilities for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, we took Rio's and Brazil's sporting ambitions into account and focused on the provision of a cost-efficient design for permanent and temporary venues. The legacy conversion plan cannot be overlooked."

Dan Meis, global director of sport at Woods Bagot, will also discuss stadium legacy and community integration, showcasing AS Roma's new €700m stadium as a mixed-use sports and entertainment destination.

"Given the number of stadiums that are being contemplated for the region, it is very important to discuss how we can ensure that these venues continue to benefit the community beyond the tournaments for which they were built," he said.

The congress will also feature panels, case studies and roundtable discussions. Meis, Taddei, Mark Fenwick of RFA Irribarren Architects, and Markus Pfisterer, director of GMP Architekten, will sit on a panel on trends in stadium design. 

J Parrish, Director of Global Sports, AECOM, UK, event chair Paul Hyett of HKS Architects will also feature in roundtable discussions, along with representatives from Honeywell and Grundfos.

This year’s World Stadium Congress will host a financial perspective for the first time. Nermine Nassif Girgis Ishak, Head of Corporate Banking at Al Khaliji Commercial Bank will deliver a talk entitled "Financing growth and capitalising on development opportunities," an examination of opportunities in the Qatar projects market for local and international players.

Fans holding tickets for the World Cup in Brazil are being encouraged to offset the carbon emissions caused by their travel to the tournament.

A programme launched by FIFA on Thursday allows successful ticket applicants to sign up on a carbon offsetting page on FIFA.com, where they can enter a prize draw to win two tickets for the World Cup final.

FIFA is bearing the cost of the carbon offsetting; all that is required is a FIFA.com Club account and a successful ticket request reference ID.

The owner of the flagship event of the world's most popular sport will be keen to generate a positive legacy, given the problems Brazil is encountering in the construction and delivery phases.

“FIFA takes its environmental responsibility very seriously," said Federico Addiechi, FIFA’s head of corporate social responsibility.

"As part of our two-fold strategy with the non-profit carbon management programme BP Target Neutral, FIFA and the Local Organising Committee will offset 100 per cent of their own operational emissions and through the campaign launched today, we are encouraging fans to neutralise the carbon emissions resulting from their travel to Brazil.

“At the same time we use the FIFA World Cup as an opportunity to engage with millions of people and raise awareness of the environmental impact of our journeys and the ways to mitigate it.”

In a press release, FIFA acknowledged that “staging a tournament of this scale inevitably has an impact on the environment. Offsetting is one way of limiting this impact.”

The programme is supported by Cafu, the world’s only player to have appeared in three World Cup finals. “It just makes sense”, he said. “Supporting your team and supporting low carbon development in Brazil at the same time is a win-win for all. I am offsetting my travels related to the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 and encouraging everyone to do the same. It’s really easy to do and only takes a minute”.

The emissions will be offset through a portfolio of low carbon projects in Brazil, chosen by BP Target Neutral. 

“Each project is selected through a rigorous tender process and adhering to the standards set by the International Carbon Reduction and Offsetting Alliance with final selection made by an independent panel of environmental NGOs. The list of the exact offsetting projects selected, all of which result in social and economic benefits to local Brazilian communities, will be announced in June,” says FIFA.

The International Olympic Commission (IOC) Coordination Commission on Thursday completed its third inspection visit of PyeongChang, the host city of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, concluding that progress was good but that work could not be allowed to slip behind schedule.

The Commission highlighted transport management, accommodation contracting and developing the Mountain Olympic Village as areas where timeframes are particularly “tight” for the PyeongChang Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (POCOG).

Venue construction, test events, marketing and Games services have also been identified as “key areas that require POCOG’s focus over the next six months,” the IOC said in a statement. 

“We were able to see that a large amount has been accomplished by POCOG and its partners since our last visit in June 2013,” said Gunilla Lindberg, chair of the IOC coordination commission. “The 2018 Games are on the right track but it is clear that much work remains.”

POCOG President and CEO Jin-sun Kim said: “The eyes of the world are now on PyeongChang.

"This year is a big turning point for us. We must establish a solid framework. As I always stress, we have no time to practise and no time for trial and error. We will streamline our Master Schedule and set our priorities straight so that everything runs smoothly according to the timeline.”

The IOC said in a statement: “With timelines tight for the completion of accommodation contracting, the development of the Mountain Olympic Village and the transport management plan, the Coordination Commission encouraged POCOG to ensure that the appropriate focus and resources were dedicated to these important areas.”

Construction companies are being appointed for venues and some construction is underway. The commission “underlined the need for timelines to be carefully defined and adhered to, so as to avoid any impacts on test events.” 

The IOC will undoubtedly be keen to avoid a situation like Rio 2016’s, where construction is critically behind schedule. 

The commission also highlighted the need to prepare for the non-infrastructural aspects of test events, saying “the hiring and training of staff and volunteers should also begin in the near future”.

In the field of marketing, POCOG is in the process of finalising its first domestic partnership contract to build on progress so far. 

“The awareness of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games has been strengthened by the success of PyeongChang House in Sochi, and the very innovative Closing Ceremony segment, which presented the 2018 Games to a worldwide audience of millions,” the IOC said. “The Commission encouraged the local organisers to continue to engage and promote their Games at this high level over the next four years both at home and abroad.”

The meetings in PyeongChang were attended by all levels of government. “The participation of the International Federations, the Korean Olympic and Paralympic Committees, and the Korean national winter sports federations was also very beneficial and allowed POCOG to engage in in-depth discussions on all topics related to the venues and sport,” said Lindberg.

“We are confident that POCOG and Korea will deliver great Games for the athletes in 2018.” 

In June, PyeongChang will host the official IOC Debriefing of the Sochi 2014 Winter Games. The fourth Coordination Commission visit to PyeongChang will take place at the end of November 2014.