カタールＷ杯は満員のスタジアムで開催、主催者が強調

【ドーハＡＦＰ＝時事】2022年サッカーW杯カタール大会の組織委員会は8日、新型コロナウイルスとの世界的な闘いが続く中でも、試合は満員のスタジアムで行うと強調した。（写真は資料写真）
　今年に延期となった東京五輪の組織委員会は、大会は予定通り開催されると主張しているが、感染症の専門家はウイルスを完全に駆逐する前に五輪を開催することの安全性に疑問を呈し、大会が中止されるという臆測が飛び交っている。
　五輪が中止された場合、次の地球規模のスポーツイベントは中東で初めて開催されるＷ杯カタール大会となるため、そのウイルス戦略と安全プランに厳しい目が向けられることとなる。
　Ｗ杯を主催するカタールの引き渡し・遺産最高委員会のヤシル・アルジャマール会長は、「ＡＦＣチャンピオンズリーグの試合を無観客で主催するところから段階を追ってスタートさせてきた」と自信をのぞかせた。
　「そして昨年１２月、収容率は３０パーセントに引き上げられ、２０クラブＷ杯も同じ割合となった。２０２２年Ｗ杯ではその数値は１００パーセントに達する」
　現在クラブＷ杯を開催するカタールでは、新型コロナウイルスの感染者数と入院者数が上昇しており、国外のファンの渡航を禁止するなどの対策が講じられている。
　カタールの新規感染者数は前週比で２０パーセントほど増加しており、保健局によるとこの１か月で新型コロナウイルス感染症（ＣＯＶＩＤ-１９）による入院患者数は８５パーセント増加したという。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/02/09-15:15）

The Qatari 2022 World Cup organisers have insisted that matches will be staged in stadiums operating at 100 percent of capacity even as the global fight against coronavirus drags on.
In Tokyo, organisers of this year's rescheduled Olympics have insisted their tournament will go ahead, but infectious diseases experts question the safety of hosting it before the virus is comprehensively defeated and speculation is rife that they could be called off.
If the Olympics fall, the 2022 World Cup being staged in the Middle East for the first time would be the next major global sporting event to face scrutiny of its virus strategy and safety plans.
Qatar started this matter gradually by hosting matches for the AFC Champions League without fans, said Yasir al-Jamal, chairman of the Operations Office of Qatar's Supreme Committee charged with organising the 2022 tournament.
Then in December, capacity was raised to 30 percent which was followed by the Club World Cup at the same percentage... then reaching the 2022 World Cup with crowds of 100 percent, he told AFP on Sunday.
Qatar is currently hosting the Club World Cup of regional champions as the country sees a spike in coronavirus cases and hospital admissions.
Local authorities have taken a swathe of measures including banning travelling fans from outside the country.
New cases over the past week jumped by a fifth compared to the week before, according to official data, while hospital admissions due to Covid-19 are up 85 percent in the past month, the health ministry said.
There is confidence in the measures that are taken in the stadiums and the metro network and in the means of entry and exit to preserve the safety of everyone, Jamal said.
Qatar officially cut the maximum capacity permitted capacity at open air football grounds to 20 percent ahead of the Club tournament but the competition was permitted to continue with maximum 30-percent attendance.
We have put in place several precautionary measures to ensure that 30 percent is appropriate, Jamal said.
Matches are being played at two stadiums which will also host World Cup games next year.
Qatar has so far inaugurated three new grounds and opened one refurbished venue with four yet to be opened.
Two of the as-yet unopened stadiums, Al Thumama and Ras Abu Abboud, could be used for the 22-nation Arab Cup competition in December, Jamal said.
It is up to FIFA, but we hope that the Arab Cup will represent a golden opportunity to test the two stadiums, he said.
Jamal denied any stadium projects had been delayed due to the pandemic.