When Qatar won the 2022 FIFA World Cup hosting bid, the stakeholders in football around the world could not believe it, and they have since been fixated on the country’s ability to handle such an international event. For a nation the size of Qatar, with its Asian roots, it is difficult to imagine that football would thrive in such a region. However, Qatar has continued to surprise the world through its active engagement in sports and football in particular. Already, some suspicions are currently being raised in regards to the lobbying methods that the country employs in business, politics, and sport. Moreover, it is difficult to imagine how a state with such hostile temperatures during summer can be allowed to host such a prestigious sporting event.  The Gulf country’s culture is also perceived to be a barrier; for instance, the strict prohibition of consumption of alcohol. Nevertheless, it is imperative to note that the increasing popularity of the small Arab country did not come about by coincidence. According to Brannagan and Giulianotti (2018), Qatar’s prominence is the result of a strategic approach by the nation, which used sport as a medium for public relations as well as development. The strategy is a combination of four great pillars including sports diplomacy, direct investment in the sports industry, elite sports development, and hosting major events in the world of sports.
Investment in the sports industry is probably one of the most impactful and direct ways that Qatar has been able to change the entire sporting industry. In the past couple of years, Qatar has engaged in a campaign of investment in global sports through its sovereign fund known as the Qatar Sports Investment (QSI). QSI was founded in the year 2005 as a shared initiative between the Ministry of Finance and the Qatar Sports Federation. Reiche (2018) is of the opinion that the QSI has been the driving force behind major franchises in sports such as Paris Saint-Germain FC, procurement of the television rights for Al Jazeera Sport as well as the well-known sportswear brand known as BURRDA. The company also sponsored significant European clubs such as Barcelona FC between the years 2011 and 2016. Notably, the London Olympic Village that was built in 2012 was sold for an approximated 557 million pounds to a subsidiary of QIA known as Qatari Diar. The goal of the investment was to help boost economic sectors; for instance, retail, tourism, hospitality, and the property sectors as part of a grand strategy to reduce the country’s dependency on gas and oil that have been the primary economic drivers in the Gulf.
One can conclude that the strategy has been relatively successful thus far. For example, the Qatar-based exclusive sports channel known as Al Jazeera Sport is currently the dominant sports channel in regards to broadcasting rights in North Africa and the Middle East. Reiche (2018) states that the broadcasting corporation has already extended its rights to broadcast with FIFA for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. The agreement covers broadband, mobile, cable, terrestrial and mobile transmission across 23 countries in North Africa and Middle East countries. Importantly, the value of the deal was estimated at $1 billion. The channel also has plans to expand the market to the US as well as Europe to compete with international brands such as ESPN and Canal +.
Hosting Sports Events
The growth of sports in Qatar has been exponential and impressive, to say the least. Brannagan and Giulianotti (2018) insist that Qatar has, in the recent past, developed into a hub for sporting events. As already mentioned, the process of making the country viable for hosting such activities has been intentional and slow, but the results are evident. Qatar hosted its first sports event in 1976, only five years after its independence. The Gulf Cup was an attempt by the country to fortify its identity among the nations in the Persian Gulf. In 1988, Qatar managed to host the Asian Football Cup which is an event that was done every four years. The country managed impeccable organization and management of the Cup despite the large numbers. Since then, the nation has been the favored host for Asian sports events in different disciplines ranging from indoor tennis, athletics and sailing. The country also hosted several international competitions across the board. Besides, Doha hosted many annual sports events with the first being the ATP tennis tournament in 1993. By the year 2014, the small Arabian country had managed to organize a total of 57 international sporting events. It is important to note that the state has tried to bid for Summer Olympic games for both the 2016 and 2020 Games but was unsuccessful in both tries. The International Olympic Committee disqualified Doha as a potential host for the Olympic games in 2020 citing concerns about the health of the athletes due to the excessive heat. Furthermore, the country had asked for the games to be rescheduled to October as the weather will be more favorable. Rescheduling the games would have had an adverse effect on the televised competitions across the world. The committee claimed that in October, these games would be more of weekend fixtures since most locals would be busy and therefore, the audience would reduce drastically due to a low demographic reach.
Elite Sport Success
With regards to elite sports policy, Qatar began to execute the plan reasonably late. Reiche (2018) indicates that games and sporting competitions are not a part of Qatari history or culture. It was not until the 1940s that the workers in oil companies introduced sports in Qatar. It, therefore follows that the premier sports team in the nation was founded in 1948. In 1979, Qatar’s Olympic Committee was set to facilitate the coordination of athletes and competition on an international level. Qatar sent an administrative delegation in 1976 to the Olympic Games held at Montreal. Withal, the country only managed to send the premier contestants to the Games in 1984 during the Summer Olympics in 1984 held in Los Angeles. While it was not expected that Qatar would win during any race in the Olympics, Qatar used the opportunity to gain international recognition. Moreover, in 2012, Qatar sent its first female athletes to the Summer Olympics held in London, UK. The country was among the last to send a female squad to the Olympics, along with countries such as Brunei and Saudi Arabia. The state has sports federations in the summer Olympics but does not participate in the Winter Olympics because of its location in the desert. Brannagan and Giulianotti (2018) call attention to the fact that until 2014, Qatar had won a total of four medals, all in the bronze category and all won by men. Qatar has claimed to be the best country in sports in the Gulf region and has won more Olympic medals than the other nations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The country has paid particular attention to the sports sector with the country systematically identifying talent within the schools in the country. Reiche (2018) states that the Aspire Academy has been instrumental in promoting male elite athletes and more resources continue to be poured into the institution. The Aspire football dreams’ Program assesses about half a million thirteen-year-old children in sixteen countries in more than three continents with most of these being from Africa and a few in Asia and Central and South America respectively. The young footballers are chosen to live Doha but play for Qatar. Their costs of training, accommodation, and education are catered for until they become adults. However, it would be faulty not to point out the policy of naturalization that the county has embraced. For instance, two of the four Olympic medals won by the country were earned by people who had not been born in the country. Foreign athletes change their nationalities to Qatari since the country offers them monetary benefits and a grand lifestyle for their wins. Reports indicate that one particular nation in East Africa; Kenya has lost a total of 38 athletes to Qatar. It is reported that these athletes are paid a monthly salary of about $1000 for life, given accommodation as well as victory rewards. It is noted that naturalized athletes are given temporary passports which they only use for travel to international competitions. They typically hand back these passports to authorities after they come back. Even so, it would seem that the International Sports Association is now keen on making it hard for athletes to transfer their nationalities. It is now a requirement by FIFA for a player to have resided for a minimum of two consecutive years in their new nation. The IOC, on the other hand, has included a mandatory three-year waiting period for a sportsperson to be allowed to participate competitions for the new country.
Indeed, the case of the small Arabian country Qatar has shown that it is possible for a wealthy country to build a global sports hub without a solid foundation. Reiche (2018) agrees that the process needs a lot of time and a high level of investment to ensure success. Indeed, it seems it does not even need a lot of time for the said country to develop and grow in the sports sector. It is ironical that Qatar is now an international sports hub and yet it has been noted that almost half of the country’s deaths are caused by chronic illnesses brought about by a sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, it is essential for the government to make significant changes in Qatar to ensure that exercise becomes a part of the country’s social fabric. The Gulf nation has showcased its ability to host and manage international sports events, but it is clear that it is not as successful in the accomplishment of elite athletic success. The milestones that have been achieved so far in elite sport in the country are all credited to people who were not born in Qatar. The nation has been in the spotlight for a local practice known as ‘the kafala system,’ which the international media refers to as modern slavery. The importation of athletes has cause Qatar to gain a negative reputation in athletics and the various governing bodies view the nation with a lot of skepticism and suspicion.
Regardless of its Arab culture and traditions, Qatar is required to be more receptive to the criticism by international media. Therefore, the Qatari people should follow internationally accepted rules of labor (Brannagan & Giulianotti, 2018). It is important to note that obtaining soft power is not a direct consequence of hosting a significant event such as the world cup. Instead, it is the result of a series of events that accumulate to give the country worldwide recognition both within the field of sports and in other sectors. Other areas such as culture, politics, economic policies, and education play a big role in the country’s ability to gain worldwide recognition. Nonetheless, one cannot dispute the fact that holding international sports events such as the FIFA world cup are a stepping stone to building better relationships with countries from across the world.
The country should also be more strategic in its approach to elite sports. The small Gulf nation should work on increasing its number of sports teams through integrating the children of migrant workers who are keen on playing (Brannagan & Giulianotti, 2018). The move will have a long-term effect on the sports in the country since it is evident that citizens in Qatar neither possess the stamina nor the athletic build for the same. It is important for the nation to build a sporting culture from the grassroots and nurture the talent. The grassroots sector in the sports industry should be worked on to ensure that more children engage in sports. Females, in particular, have to be encouraged to participate in the sports sector to be better represented on the world stage. The cultural barriers that are at play should be dealt with first instead of building large modern stadiums that the local people do not utilize. A complete paradigm shift would ensure that the females are given an equal chance in the games and affirmative action must be employed to change the mindset of the entire generation.

References

Brannagan, P. M., & Giulianotti, R. (2018). The soft power–soft disempowerment nexus: The case of Qatar. International Affairs, 94(5), 1139-1157. doi:10.1093/ia/iiy125

Reiche, D. (2014). Investing in sporting success as a domestic and foreign policy tool: The case of Qatar. International Journal of Sports Policy and Politics, 7(4), 489-504. doi:10.1080/19406940.2014.966135