AFC U23 Asian Cup/ Director of Health, Safety Says World Cup 2022 Legacy Contributed to the Tournament Success

Doha: Director of the Health and Safety Department of the Local Organizing Committee of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024 Eng. Abdullah Al Bishri said that the legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 had a significant role in establishing health and safety rules in all tournaments hosted by the State of Qatar. Speaking to QNA Al Bishri added that with the tournament reaching the knockout rounds, no serious health and safety incidents were recorded, and this is evidence of the keenness on implementing health and safety standards and the lessons learned from the 2022 World Cup, which contributed to unifying the application of safety standards in all sporting events and major events organized by Qatar. He explained that the tasks of the Health and Safety Department in the tournament are based on many aspects, primarily evacuation plans, work permits, periodic inspection and auditing, risk assessment, joint inspection with the Civil Defense Department and the ambulance service before each match, and conducting a joint evacuation exercise with the security committee. The Director of the Health and Safety Department at the organizing committee indicated that coordination had been made with the Asian Football Confederation regarding health and safety standards, and that tournament staff were trained on how to report health and safety incidents. He pointed out that all health and safety plans and standards as well as evacuation plans were presented to AFC officials through coordination meetings that preceded the tournament kick off. No compromise on health and safety standards, whether in the groups or the knockout stages Al Bishri stressed, adding that health and safety procedures are strictly applied at every stage of the tournament. Source: Qatar News Agency