Al Kuwari, Qatar’s Minister of Public Health, said: “The State of Qatar is proud to be the first country from the Middle East to host the FIFA World Cup. But our goal is not just to hold a successful sporting event – it is also to hold the healthiest sporting event possible. It is for this reason we have teamed up with WHO.”
“We look forward to working closely with WHO, FIFA and other partners on this new project to deliver a fantastic, healthy World Cup and leave a legacy that supports the staging of healthy, sustainable and safe mega sporting events in the future.”
The main themes the project will focus on are supporting people to practice healthy lifestyles, including through physical activity, healthy diets and tobacco cessation and control; promoting health security, with a focus on ensuring mass gatherings and events are safe; and advocacy and awareness-raising for health.
Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, praised the new partnership between Qatar and WHO, and said it built on the successful partnership between FIFA and WHO signed in 2019 through a memorandum of understanding.
“In these past two years, FIFA and WHO have doubled our efforts to promote the importance of physical and mental health to millions of people everywhere, especially in light of the global challenges from COVID-19. We are committed to working with the world of football, from elite players to grassroots teams, to advance the message of health for all. WHO’s new project with Qatar aligns perfectly with FIFA’s collaboration with both sides. Working together, we will harness the power of sports as a catalyst for a safer and healthier world.”
SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY