He affirmed his full support for the establishment of the 25th Gulf Cup in Basra.. President of the Gulf Cup Federation: Iraq has the right to host matches on its soil
His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, President of the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation, affirmed his full support for Iraq’s hosting of the upcoming “Gulf 25” competitions, while presiding over the meeting of the Executive Office of the Federation, which was held this morning, Wednesday, in the Qatari capital, Doha.
Commenting on the questions recently raised following the visit of the delegation of the Arab Gulf Cup Federation to Kuwait to inspect its sports facilities, His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani said: “It is a routine visit that always takes place before any tournament to inspect the facilities of the host country, as well as the facilities of the alternative country.”
His Excellency added: “In the coming days, a delegation from the Federation will visit the Iraqi city of Basra to inspect its facilities, which will host the 25th Gulf Cup matches, as previously scheduled.”
On the other hand, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed expressed his surprise at the decision of the International Football Association (FIFA) to transfer the match between Iraq and the Emirates in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers to Jordan for security reasons, after it was scheduled to be held in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, after lifting the ban on its stadiums. “We learned about the news during the meeting of the Executive Office of the Arab Gulf Cup, and I will communicate with Adnan Dargal, Minister of Youth and Sports, President of the Iraqi Football Association, to convey to him my support for Iraq and assure the eligibility of the Rafidain Lions team to host its matches on its land and in front of its fans”.
His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani also confirmed that he will coordinate fully with the Iraqi Federation for practical steps, and will make the quick and necessary contacts for the Iraqi team to complete its matches among its fans in the World Cup qualifiers.
The Arab Gulf Cup Federation had signed a long-term partnership contract with the leading company “IMG” as a commercial partner for the next six Gulf Cup tournaments that will be held during the period from 2023 to 2031, and His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani expressed his satisfaction saying: “In the coming years, we will be partnering with a leading global company in the field of sports, events and media that owns hundreds of events annually and is a leading independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. In the interest of both parties, we also hope that it will support the development and promotion of the Gulf Cup, which represents for the people of the Arab Gulf, and we are waiting for a qualitative leap for the Federation’s championships in the future.”