Qatar opposed to moving WC 2022 to winter

QATAR: Hassan al-Thawadi, the head of the Qatar 2022 World Cup has rejected calls for the tournament to be awarded to another country.

Football’s governing body Fifa is expected to move the tournament to winter to avoid Qatar's high summer temperatures.

Hassan al-Thawadi, chief of the Qatar bid, insists there is "no reason" why they should not host the event. “We've worked very, very hard to ensure we're within the rules of the bidding, within the rules of the hosting agreement," he told BBC Sport. "At the same time we're delivering on all the promises that we've made. We're working very hard to deliver it. The commitment is there."

Fifa president Sepp Blatter is determined to switch the 2022 World Cup to the winter as summer temperatures can reach 50C in the Middle Eastern country.

Blatter, 77, has admitted the governing body may have made a mistake" in awarding the tournament to Qatar in the summer.

The Premier League has taken an opposing stance, with chief executive Richard Scudamore insisting the tournament should go ahead in the summer.

However, Europe's leading clubs have said they are open to the possibility of a winter World Cup in Qatar in 2022.