Categories: Sport

How to stay cool during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

The World Cup will be held in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022.

This will be the first World Cup to be held in the Arab world, and the second to be held entirely in Asia after the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan.

Tournament chiefs, backed by the world governing body FIFA, confirmed early on in the hosting process that a traditional June-July tournament would not be possible. 

Why is the 2022 World Cup being held in the winter?

The main reason for moving the tournament to Qatar’s winter is because it’s completely impractical to play football in the region during the summer. Average temperatures in the summer months are around 107 F (42 C).

Players and fans alike would struggle in such hot conditions, which could lead to a whole host of problems such as heatstroke.

Although the decision to authorise the World Cup caused a lot of controversy, FIFA eventually approved the decision in 2018.

What will the temperature be in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup?

Even though the football contest will be played in Qatar during the winter, players and fans will still face heat and humidity that is hotter than most European summers.

The average temperature in Qatar will remain around 75 F (24 C) at the start of the tournament and organisers will be taking a number of measures to make players and fans attending feel more comfortable.

Are the World Cup stadiums air-conditioned?

The eight stadiums hosted matches for the competition are air-conditioned and equipped with specially designed cooling units.

Dr. Saud Abdulaziz Abdul Ghani, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Qatar University, is spearheading the project and is involved in the design of the cooling units for all the stadiums.

In an interview with FIFA.com, Dr. Saud said: “We are not just cooling the air, we’re cleaning it.

“We’re purifying the air for spectators. For example, people who have allergies won’t have problems inside our stadiums as we have the cleanest and purest air there is.”

This technology uses solar energy to make the whole stadium more efficient and environmentally friendly. When the World Cup starts, the whole stadium can be kept at 18-24 C so that no one overheats.

Not only does the stadium have a cooling unit, but it also has a light-coloured exterior, which effectively reduces the temperature of the stadium.

Qatar’s stadiums are groundbreaking in the history of the World Cup. Of course, drinking water is still the best way to keep cool if you’re planning on attending any matches this month.

Check out our other coverage of the 2022 World Cup: Qatar bans the sale of alcohol in stadiums during the World Cup

Words: Fangyi He | Subbing: Yana Trup

Voice of London

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