Qatar Seeks Indian Security Experts for FIFA World Cup 2022

Qatar is seeking to make Indian detectives a part of the security assistance program for the FIFA World Cup scheduled to take place in the country in 2022. The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will make a list of names of over 20 officers of the Indian Police Service from various parts of the country for a security seminar in Doha, the Indian Express reported.

Officers from Maharashtra and the National Security Guard (NSG) have been told to send names of officials holding the rank of the Superintendent of Police and Deputy Inspector General, and those who have been involved in crucial events like the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.

Similarly, other states like West Bengal have been asked by the Home Ministry to nominate names of officers who are experienced in organizing the Indian Super League and FIFA Under-17 World Cup, among other big events. These officers are also well equipped to handle and manage the crowd, as well as assess threats and risks.

“States and union territories have been told to nominate officers after we received communication from Doha and FIFA. The event will be a good exposure for our officers, and our forces can benefit from their experience in the near future,” the publication reported a senior government official as saying.

Nominations are being sought from the Intelligence Bureau (IB), according to the report.

The seminar will involve experts discussing the security arrangements for the mega football event.

Officials working in the area of international engagement and cooperation are required to work alongside international agencies to tackle terror threats. Another requirement is that the officer should be well versed and have good command over English. Also, the candidate should not be facing corruption charges.

“It is desirable to sponsor such officers who have expertise in more than one field and the nominated officer should be in excellent health and fit to travel,” said the Home Ministry, the report added.

The first completed tournament venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup is the Khalifa International Stadium that received a major sustainability certification last year, reported FIFA.com. The stadium has a seating capacity of 40,000 and became the first in the world to be awarded a four-star rating from the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS), administered by Qatar-based Gulf Organization for Research & Development (GORD). The stadium officially reopened in May 2017, after undergoing some major redevelopment.