With just two more months to go for the FIFA World Cup to be held in Doha, Qatar, the second phase of buying tickets has been closed. But no matter, how big a fan is of football, buying a ticket is just the tip of the iceberg for an international game. You have to plan your travel and stay in the host country and with mega events as such, the bookings of hotel rooms are always full or overcharged.
Goans are big fans of football and the World Cup is one of the most anticipated events for Goans, even though our own Indian team is not a part of the tournament. With Qatar being the closest host country ever to Goa, it is no doubt, that Goans will jump at the opportunity and book the tickets like a game of fastest finger first on the first come first serve basis when the sales open up. With many having already booked their tickets, Goans in Qatar are expecting a huge influx of football fans.
Goan Social Workers Qatar (GSWG) was formed by a group of Goans involved in social service. With the convener, John Desa, the ten member group consists of Martin Mascarenhas, Tina Fernandes, Mauricio Pereira, Armstrong Vaz, Carol Gonsalves, Perpetual Pereira (Peppy), George Fernandes, Antonio Joao Vaz and Sebastiao Mascarenhas. The group has been involved in social services especially during the Covid pandemic and now they are supporting Goans who are travelling to Doha for the games especially those who are finding accommodation too high for their budget, by providing their own houses for their fellow Goans. They recently started a Whatsapp group, ‘Goan Fans for QATAR 2022’ to assist any Goan fans travelling to Doha for Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup. Only Goan fans holding Qatar 2022 match tickets and volunteers from the Qatar Goan Community can join the group.
“There is a huge increase in the demand as well as price of the hotel accommodation around the city and if the fans are staying back for more than one match, it can be quite expensive. In the first phase of ticket bookings, the minimum price for a ticket for non Qatar residents was around Rs 5000 while the hotel rooms for a day can range from Rs 10,000 to nearly Rs 30,000. With the second phase just ending, we are expecting more Goans visiting the country,” says John Desa, originally from Cortalim, who has been living in Doha with his wife for over 37 years.
There are nearly 5000 Goans living and working in Qatar. The Qatari government recently launched the ‘Host a fan’ programme, where residents and citizens of Qatar can host up to ten visitors in their homes. However, there are particular criterions to be met. “Visa on arrival for Indians to Qatar will be suspended for the months of November and December. Once, they book their tickets for the match they will have to apply for the ‘Hayya’ digital card, which is similar to the Aadhar Card in India. They have to provide the booking of their hotel or the accommodation where they will stay in Qatar. That is where we come in the picture. As residents of Qatar, we too have a Hayya card and if we are providing accommodation in our home, we have to add those members’ names in our card. The online system will correlate the names and approve them the visa to travel to the country,” Desa explains the process.
Only those who have their own homes or flats in Qatar and are not living in company accommodation or camps are allowed to host a fan. Each card can allow only ten fans in the home. The Hayya or Qatar Id card has to applied by the residents of Qatar by providing all their details, including their employment and residential rent contracts. So far, the organization has confirmed accommodation to a few families and even four priests who will be travelling to the country. “Many Goans who are living here are already expecting their friends and family. The fan list is higher than the homes we have right now. We have confirmed 20 members so far and 20 are on the waiting list. We also have a woman in Qatar who is ready to allow a single female traveller. Unfortunately, we are getting requests from men and families only,” adds Desa.
The 22nd World Cup will be held in the Middle East for the first time. Through Qatar, it will open the Arab life to the world. With 32 teams participating, this will also be the first edition of the tournament with a reduced timeframe of around 29 days. Another first is that it is being held from late-November to mid-December due to Qatar’s intense summer heat. Usually the tournament is held either in May, June, or July. The eight world class stadiums, Al Bayt Stadium, Lusail Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Education City Stadium, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Janoub Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium and Stadium 974 are all based in the capital city of Doha. “The city has a radius of 30 kilometres and with a three hour drive, the fans will be able to drive by all eight stadiums,” he says.
During the stay in Qatar, GSWQ also encourages people to enjoy sightseeing in the country. A small country, Qatar boasts of great adventure and history. “There are informative museums and even an oil well which people can visit besides the heritage Wafiq Souq in the capital. One must-try adventure trip is Sand Dune Bashing, which is a four wheel drive (4WD) through the desert sands, and the height of the dunes can reach up to 50 feet sometimes. It is an opportunity of a lifetime,” says Desa.
As the games will be held from November 20 to December 18, the days of stay also have to be planned well. Depending on the number of matches, a person is attending, the stay has to be adjusted. If you plan to stay for a long period, it will be difficult to accommodate other travelers so don’t overstay in the country. “According to our dates, we hope those attending the match will leave the next day as everyone will be accommodated on rotation. We hope everyone will be understanding and will not try to spend a long holiday here, as we are all working people and have to go to office without taking leave during the tournament too. I would also like to inform fellow Goans who will be travelling during that time, that we celebrate the feast of St Francis Xavier in a grand way in Doha. They can also attend the Novenas and feast here,” says Desa.
As the games are fast approaching, the energy is already in the air with many residents choosing their sides and forming fan clubs based on their home countries or their teams. He explains, “Some of the group members including me are part of the Portugal Fans Qatar group and we hope to interact with fans of Portugal. On the weekends, there are many activities planned by the fan clubs and it really puts the country in a good mood for the games.”
