The draw ceremony for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, the 18th edition slated to be played from Jan. 12 to Feb. 10, 2024, was held Thursday at the Katara Opera House.
The dazzling ceremony, in terms of simplicity and elegance, captivated all the attendees, most notably FIFA President Gianni Infantino, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, HE President of Qatar Football Association Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Thani, AFC Executive Office members, representatives of the continental federations, managers and coaches of the 24 participating teams, and a host of international, continental and local media professionals.
The attendees were impressed by the Katara Opera House, which is of great value as a world-famous cultural center for artists and musicians in light of its sophisticated architecture that merges modern and traditional Islamic design. It is also home to the famous Qatar Orchestra, which promotes symphonic music in the Arab region, while serving as a platform for music from all over the world.
Addressing the ceremony, Al Khalifa highlighted Qatar's leading organization of major world sporting events that foretell an exceptional edition, expressing confidence that Doha will produce the best-ever AFC Asian Cup edition.
He also highly appreciated the State of Qatar's response to stage the event after China relinquished their rights to host it in June 2023. He also expressed his gratitude to the Qatar Football Association and the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for hosting the continent's largest event on the World Cup legacy, given that six out of the eight World Cup stadiums will host the tournament matches.
The AFC President started the ceremony by presenting the tournament mascot to HE Qatar Football Association President Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Thani, who, in turn, gave Sheikh Salman, the LOC logo.
Supervised by AFC General -Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John, the draw saw the participation of seven Asian football legends representing Asia's five geographical regions.
Qatar's Hassan Al Haydos, who lifted Qatar's first-ever AFC Asian Cup trophy in 2019 in the UAE, was given the honor of drawing the ball that bore the name of Qatar. Drawn in Group A along with China, Tajikistan and Lebanon, Qatar will play the group opener against Lebanon on Jan. 12.
Al Haydos said that it is an honor for him to lead Qatar in the largest continental football championship, adding that the tournament kick-off at home and among loyal Qatari fans would be a special moment. He also voiced hopes they would defend the title that they secured in 2019. (MORE)
Source: Qatar News Agency