Doha, November 20 (QNA) - Al Raya and Al Watan said that Doha's hosting of the remaining matches of the second part of the AFC Champions League East Zone tomorrow, Saturday, is consistent with its win to host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 for the first time in the Middle East, and underlines more than that its organization of more than 500 international tournaments, conferences and training camps in recent years.

In their editorials, the two newspapers said that Doha's hosting of the Asian competitions tomorrow along with its final match as well as its hosting of the FIFA Club World Cup in February 2021, are two important decisions confirming that the State of Qatar has won not only the continental challenge but also the global one despite the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

In its editorial entitled "Major sporting events in Qatar on the road to the World Cup", Al Raya newspaper stated that this great confidence confirms that there is nothing impossible for the world sports capital which succeeded in winning the bet and helped the FIFA and the AFC to prevent the postponement or cancelation of the two championships.

It described Qatar's hosting of the two prominent football events as a wonderful opportunity and a new test to assess the extent of readiness and preparations before hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, noting that this hosting is at the same time a message to all that reflects Doha's capabilities and high organizational experience to organize the World Cup finals in the best possible, wonderful and easiest way.

Al Raya stressed that the State of Qatar has succeeded in convincing the whole world that it is the best and most deserving the honor to host the 2022 World Cup finals, and that its hosting tomorrow (Saturday) of the second part of the 16-team Asian tournament represents a test of readiness and preparation for the biggest event, the World Cup which will be hosted by Doha on November 21, 2022. Therefore, the two events constitute a new and exciting challenge, it added.

The newspaper noted that with the start of the countdown to host this most important football event in the world, the State of Qatar is waiting for two decisive years, as the world sports capital is preparing with confident steps to receive various tournaments and sports events in preparation for the 2022 World Cup, which will be an unprecedented World Cup in terms of organization and participation, and will be held in a world free of Coronavirus, especially that the State of Qatar accepted the challenge and succeeded in gaining the world's confidence and silencing the abnormal voices that were trying to undermine the honor of organizing the world championship.

For its part, Al Watan newspaper affirmed in its editorial that the State of Qatar will host the AFC Champions League East Zone matches with the same quality of organization and strict health measures made in the AFC Champions League West Zone that Doha hosted last September.

It added the AFC Champions League East Zone matches will receive the same level of organization provided to the West Zone matches at the end of last September.

Al Watan indicated that the competitions that are held on a number of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadiums will bring many benefits to the organizers, volunteers and the rest of the working committees as they will gain more experience to help them reach the highest level of readiness, especially that there are two years remaining to the kickoff of the next World Cup that its first matches will be held on November 21, 2022, at Al Bayt Stadium.

The newspaper noted the AFC's appreciation of the measures taken by the State of Qatar to make the Champions League East Zone competitions successful, referring in this regard to what was stated by deputy director of the competitions and football events department of the AFC Avazbek Bir Dikulov when he said that he was pleased to be back in Qatar after a previous success in the AFC Champions League West Zone, and expressed his happiness at Qatar's hosting of the AFC Champions League East Zone.

Al Watan noted that the local organizing committee has taken many important measures, as the competitions are held amid strict health measures by subjecting all participants in the tournament, including players, officials and organizers to strict health measures, as a preventive measure from the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The daily said that these health measures followed by the organizing committee in cooperation with the AFC and the relevant authorities in the country included subjecting all participants to Covid-19 test, the use of safe transportation, and regular sterilization of all tournament stadiums, training sites and media facilities, in addition to allocating medical kits in stadiums throughout the competition period. (END)