Doha -
In an unprecedented initiative and a unique symbolic tradition, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy launched a festival to raise the flags of the teams that qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.
The festival, which witnessed the raising of the flags of the countries that have so far qualified for the World Cup, in addition to the flag of the host country Qatar, is an initiative aimed at welcoming the qualified teams and their fans in Doha about a year from now.
Despite the simplicity of the initiative, it acquires special symbolism, in light of the fact that the ambassador of each country qualified for the World Cup hoisted his country's flag in the area designated for raising the flags of the 32 countries on the Doha Corniche.
Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, believes that the flag raising festival is an initiative of the Qatar World Cup organizing committee to welcome not only the qualified teams, but more importantly, the fans of these teams to participate in the football wedding in Qatar.
The ambassadors of Denmark, Germany, Brazil, Belgium and France witnessed the raising of the flags of their countries on the Doha Corniche to celebrate the official qualification of their teams to the World Cup Qatar 2022.
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He explains that this initiative will be carried out by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy with all the teams that will qualify for the 2022 World Cup, either individually or collectively, according to the qualification timing.
The area designated for the festival witnessed the raising of the flags of Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Brazil and France, in addition to the flag of the State of Qatar (host), on the opening day, before being joined later by the flags of England, Switzerland, Serbia, Spain, Croatia, the Netherlands and Argentina. In a new festive.
Unique initiative
The Director of Partner Relations at the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Khaled Al-Suwaidi, considered that this initiative is unconventional and has not occurred before in the history of past editions of the most prominent football event in the world.
Al-Suwaidi told Al-Jazeera Net that the committee aims from such initiatives to link the early qualified teams to the Qatar World Cup, and to congratulate and welcome them and their fans to participate and celebrate with us this achievement a year from now.
He adds that this festival will be repeated every period as new teams qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, especially with regard to the Asian and African qualifiers that will be decided in March next year.
He believes that the festival of raising the flags of the countries qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar has become a special symbol, in light of the presence of the ambassador of each country and his personally raising his country's flag in the designated area on the Doha Corniche, which makes it a historic moment.
Hassan Al Thawadi (left) welcomes the ambassadors during the Flag Raising Festival (Al Jazeera)
early celebration
The initiative to raise the flags of the countries qualified for the World Cup in Qatar received positive reactions, especially from the ambassadors of the countries that qualified for the World Cup. The French ambassador to Qatar, Jean-Baptiste Favre, praised the idea of the initiative and the early celebration in Doha of his country's qualification for the 2022 World Cup.
Favre, who is fluent in the Arabic language, wished his country and Qatar teams to qualify for the World Cup final, and praised the tremendous work done by the State of Qatar to host the event, both in terms of infrastructure and means of transportation, as well as the design of stadiums.
Meanwhile, the Belgian ambassador to Qatar, William Asselborn, expressed his admiration for the idea of raising the flags of the countries qualified for the World Cup in Qatar, expressing his pride in raising his country's flag, and his eagerness to follow the World Cup, especially the matches of his country's team.
Many ambassadors in Doha participated in the flag raising festival (Al-Jazeera)
The Brazilian ambassador to Qatar welcomed the flag-raising initiative, and expressed his enthusiasm to support and support his country during the World Cup in Qatar, which is being held in the Middle East for the first time.
For his part, Qatari journalist Mohammed Al-Mohannadi considered that the State of Qatar is accustomed to presenting the new and unusual in every event it organizes, whether it is sports, political, social or economic.
Al-Mohannadi told Al-Jazeera Net that the initiative to raise the flags of the national team qualified for the World Cup in Qatar is unprecedented at all, and it represents a great sanctity due to its connection to the flag, which is the symbol of the homeland and dignity not in Qatar but in all countries.
He added that this initiative would show the distinctive image of Qatar's huge willingness to host the World Cup, and its constant innovation and creativity for everything that serves the success of this global football event.
The World Cup - Qatar 2022 - will be held from November 21 to December 18 next year.