DOHA: The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and its stakeholders will be sending a delegation to Brazil to attend and observe the organisation of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ and transfer those learnings across the State, as Qatar begins to deliver the first proposed Host Venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™. These valuable learning experiences will be added to those gained at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil™ and the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ Final Draw in Costa do Sauipe, Bahia. “We wish the host nation Brazil the best of luck for what will undoubtedly be an outstanding opening ceremony and inaugural match against Croatia at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. We will be present with our observers program across various host cities to learn valuable lessons for our own hosting of the first ever FIFA World Cup in the Middle East in 2022,” said Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy. In June, the SC and its stakeholders from the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning, Ashghal, Ministry of Transport, Aspetar, Kahramaa, Qatar Rail, Qatar Tourism Authority, Qatar Football Association, Qatar Stars League and Lusail Real Estate and Development Company will be participating in five Host City Observation Programmes in Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Porto Alegre, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The SC’s delegation will also be in Brazil attending FIFA’s and the AFC’s Congresses, interacting with the world of football, as well as participating in the FIFA Official Observation Programme in July alongside their Russian counterparts. Several SC employees have just returned from a FIFA Stadium Tour at the end of May to Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro where they visited the Mineirão Stadium and the fabled Maracanã, which will host the final game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ and also hosted the 1950 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ final game. Earlier this year, Qatar conducted bilateral trips to review delivery progress prior to the kick-off of the tournament in conjunction with the Federal Government of Brazil and the Brazilian Ministry of Sport to the Host Cities of Salvador, Recife, Fortaleza, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia. The observers will be attending matches, touring stadiums, FIFA Fan Fests™, the International Broadcasting Centre (Rio de Janeiro), as well as sitting in on detailed presentations by FIFA, the Local Organising Committee and Host City representatives. Upon their return to Qatar, the observers will present their findings and share their experiences with the rest of the SC and its stakeholders so that Qatar may learn from Brazil’s preparations, as part of the SC’s strategic objective to create a best-in-class transfer of knowledge programme on the hosting of major events. Prior to his departure, Dr Sakis Batsilas, Executive Director, Sport Business Development and Competition, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, said that the SC would be seizing every opportunity to learn vital lessons ahead of the quadrennial tournament: “The 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups are the main vehicles for the SC and our stakeholders to gain experience and our attendance is essential to acquire knowledge of event operations for the world’s largest sporting event. The Brazil Observation Programmes allow us to identify recurring issues to be prepared for and what to avoid, ensuring we continue to produce the quality outcomes of which all of us are capable. Our stakeholders will gain valuable knowledge as well, identifying the successes and lessons learned from their counterparts and colleagues in Brazil. Qatar is blessed with being able to learn from two Host Nations – Brazil and Russia. No other Host Nation has had that ability. We are seizing on this opportunity.”