Indian Football fan showers high praise on Qatar for making the World Cup a memorable experience for the differently- abled

Qatar 2022 (Source: Twitter)

The FIFA World Cup 2022 is at the closing stages with only the final to be played on December 18, featuring France and Argentina. One other lesser-noticed aspect that Qatar has prided itself upon is making top-notch arrangements for the differently abled during this World Cup. George Mathew, an Indian football fan, who has watched several games in Qatar had high words of praise for the Qatar administration for the steps taken to make the World Cup experience more memorable for the differently-abled fans.

This is an excerpt from Mathew’s write-up about his World Cup experience

It was noticed that accessibility was given great importance from the beginning of this edition of the FIFA World Cup. The presence of friends who could guarantee accommodation and the relatively affordable fares gave wings to World Cup dreams. It was during the sales that I found out that accessibility tickets were cheap and a companion ticket was given free. The moment a close friend declared his willingness to come, the decision was made.

We planned and took five tickets during the second phase of the sales. We got all five when they picked the lots (there was a draw). Then it was a race to prepare for the journey. Everything was arranged, slowly, one at a time.

(What preparation? Book the ticket, get the visa and just go when it's time, right? No... ask anyone with some kind of disability to understand how challenging travelling is. Taxi, wheelchair, buggy service, accessible public transport... You will be in a soup if even one among these falls flat.

The system became flawless after a slow start  - George Mathew

I reached (Qatar) after understanding about mobility options available in detail. The first two games were difficult. I had to walk a lot. The main problem was that many volunteers did not know about all the facilities and the mobility marshals themselves lacked coordination. There was a golf cart, a wheelchair, a priority line, an elevator, and a special entrance... it just lacked coordination. Many of the volunteers were helpless. Seems like there were a lot of complaints. The system became flawless ahead of the next games. There were no problems going forward.

Hundreds with different kinds of disabilities came as many facilities were provided for those with mobility issues, including seating arrangements in a comfortable special area. No previous World Cup has had so many differently-abled people in attendance (let the numbers come). The volunteers were also always trying to make things easier.

The Metro service is worth a special mention. All we have to do is to request a wheelchair from any officer at the entry point outside the station. They will ensure a wheelchair facility from that point to the last station of the trip. When we alight, the next team will be waiting based on a wireless message. They will accompany us to the bus point or parking. Most fans use the metro service. Yet they ensure wheelchair entries face no challenge in the trains and manage the crowds effectively. Their service was truly heartening. Absolute professionalism!