When Qatar was chosen to host the 2022 World Cup many people questioned the decision. With the event now facing a number of potential problems, how are insurers viewing the challenges—and should they be concerned? Intelligent Insurer investigates.
A
ll sporting events tend to bring surprises and even shocks. came when the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) awarded the event to the country it said
had made the best pitch to host the event—Qatar.
Qatar’s location in the Middle East meant that choosing it for the World Cup opened it up to immediate criticism. In the summer, the temperature can reach 36°C (96.8°F) at midday; in winter the lowest average temperature is around 17°C.
The temperature issue is important. In a sport as energetic and fast
as football can be, the health of the players can be badly affected by adverse conditions, such as if it’s too hot—which can lead to heatstroke, dehydration, heat exhaustion and other conditions.
“Inevitably questions are being asked about the health impact for football
players of such high temperatures,” says Tim Prifti, head of accident & health at Tokio Marine Kiln.
“From an insurer’s perspective, we see little additional risks for players in a Qatar-held World Cup compared to the tournament being anywhere else. Football teams have small armies of medical staff, nutritionists and other health professionals nowadays so the players will be very well taken care of. The impact of heat will be assessed and dealt with accordingly.”
Fortunately for the players—and the insurers—FIFA listened to the criticism in this case and announced in March 2015 that the tournament taking place on December 18, 2022.
However, it is worth acknowledging that this move has also been criticised, this time by players’ unions, as they point out that the winter is also the time when most countries have their own domestic football competitions. As a result, many players will arrive already tired.
HEAT AND DISEASE—BUT NO ALCOHOL Nevertheless, there will still be issues. “There is always a number of risks to consider regarding the staging of major international events,” says Chris Nash, managing director of specialist sports insurance company Sportscover. “The sheer number of people who will all be together in one area raises issues for health whatever country the event is held in.
“It only needs a few people to have highly contagious diseases and they could in turn infect thousands of others who are attending and in close proximity to each other. There is also the risk of crush injuries in venues
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and at gathering places outside the venue, particularly just before or just after the match is played.
“Supporter on supporter or supporter on bystander violence is also a risk and there are the usual hazards of food and beverage bought from street vendors who may not have the highest standards of hygiene.”
In addition, Nash adds that there are a number of special considerations about holding the event in the Middle East. “Now that FIFA has announced that the event will be held in the winter months—November and December—the climate will not be as extreme as if the World Cup had been held in the traditional summer months when daytime temperatures can top 50°C.
“Even in November daytime temperatures can be in the mid-30s, although high 20s and low 30s are more likely. So the climate is not so likely to cause major issues, although having large gatherings of people in these temperatures can still lead to health problems such as heat stroke and dehydration, particularly if fans have access to large quantities of alcohol.
“However, holding the World Cup in the Middle East could have a particularly in large quantities. Many of the issues relating to violence at matches can be traced to alcohol and so we may even see positive health
CANCELLATION INSURANCE IN THE SPOTLIGHT The health implications are not the main issue that most insurers involved with this event will be concerned about. A far bigger issue is the very real possibility that despite the fact that Qatar is spending an estimated $200 billion on the event and has already started building the stadiums in which it will be held, it remains a possibility that Qatar won’t see a single ball being kicked because the 2022 World Cup might be moved to a different host.
The world of football was rocked to its foundations in May 2015
when it emerged that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation has been carrying out a long-term investigation into money laundering, bribery and corruption in the highest echelons of FIFA, culminating in the arrest of a number of FIFA executives.
Questions about just how Qatar was chosen to host the 2022 World Cup re-emerged in the wake of these arrests. Although FIFA continues to insist that the event will take place in Qatar, speculation about a move to another venue has been rife.
November 2015 | INTELLIGENT INSURER | 51
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