Pakistan Footballs, Troops Feature at FIFA World Cup Islamabad.
The national teams of Pakistan have never advanced to the FIFA World Cup, but its footballs have done it repeatedly. For the first time, thousands of its soldiers are operating the security for the event in Qatar.
The big event began on Sunday in Doha, the capital of the tiny Gulf nation, which anticipates hosting more than 1.2 million guests over the competition, which will last for nearly a month and end on December 18.
To aid local partners in guaranteeing a seamless World Cup, Qatar has officially hired security forces from 13 nations, with Pakistan being the most significant contributor. The other participants in the security mission include Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, Jordan, Kuwait, the Palestinian Territories, Poland, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and the United States.
More than 4,000 military, air force and navy personnel of various ranks make up the Pakistani contingent. With a population of fewer than 3 million, they constitute the South Asian country’s most significant contribution to securing World Cup stadiums and hotels in the Middle Eastern nation.
Pakistan Footballs, Troops Feature at FIFA World Cup
As a result of the “excellent brotherly relations” between Islamabad and Doha, the Qatari government requested the force deployment, according to written remarks provided to VOA by a senior Pakistani security official.
The official spoke anonymously because he did not have official permission to address the media. “It’s the first time that a mega event is being hosted by a brotherly Muslim country, which required substantial arrangements, so on request of the Qatar government, Pakistan provided the troops,” the official said.
According to the Qatari authorities’ judgment, “the Pakistani troops are being employed on security duties inside and outside the venues.”
Before the event, “these troops have undergone the necessary training at Pakistan under an international team of instructors from the U.K. and Qatar,” he continued.
Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, praised Qatar for hosting the World Cup. He tweeted that “the world will experience the best of Qatar’s history, culture, & hospitality.”
Imran Khan, a former Pakistani prime minister, also sent his best wishes to the Gulf state for successfully hosting the significant event.
“This biggest sporting event in the world is being hosted for the first time by a Muslim nation. Wishing success to all competing teams, Khan tweeted.
As the second-largest foreign contributor to the security procedures the World Cup host has implemented, Turkey is said to have deployed about 3,000 riot police. The Turkish security team was also to comprise 80 sniffer dogs, 50 bomb specialists, and perhaps 100 special operations police officers.
According to reports, the FIFA World Cup Security Committee has sent 32,000 government security personnel and 17,000 members of the commercial security industry to Qatar to monitor the event.
a football and a flag
The official match balls, known as Al Rihla, for the 2022 World Cup were provided by Pakistan and China. According to the FIFA website, it is derived from Qatar’s culture, architecture, famous boats, and flag and signifies “the journey” in Arabic.
Before the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup football competition, on November 12, 2022, football enthusiasts assemble around a stand selling national flags and football-related merchandise in Karachi.
Before the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup football competition, on November 12, 2022, football enthusiasts assemble around a stand selling national flags and football-related merchandise in Karachi.
The South Asian country contributed to the official match ball production for the two previous World Cup competitions in 2014 and 2018.
Adidas, a German multinational, produces footballs in Pakistan through “Forward Sports” in Sialkot. The Pakistani city is known for producing top-notch sporting items and is home to many FIFA-certified football manufacturers.
FILE – On February 23, 2010, Pakistani workers stitched footballs in a Sialkot facility.
FILE – On February 23, 2010, Pakistani workers stitched footballs in a Sialkot facility.
According to Forward Sports managing director Hassan Masood, three thousand footballs will be used during the World Cup in Qatar, and 8 million replicas are anticipated to be marketed worldwide.
According to reports, factories in Pakistan also created tens of thousands of World Cup-related banners and sent them to Qatar.
In the past, Islamabad has sent troops to the Arab Gulf states to aid in military operations and missions to promote peace.
Currently stationed in Saudi Arabia is a group of Pakistani military personnel. General Raheel Sharif, a former head of the Pakistani military, is in charge of the Islamic Military Counterterrorism Coalition, which some have compared to Saudi Arabia’s NATO.
During the Gulf War of 1990–1991, Pakistani military advisors and specialists also supported the Kuwaiti army.
