Qatar says all of its stadiums will be built or renovated by the 2021 Confederations Cup in a sign the petrol-rich country is ramping up preparations for hosting the 2022 World Cup.
Yasir Al-Jamal, technical director of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, told a Doha sports conference on Friday that organizers would break ground in early 2013 on the first of a dozen stadiums, and by the end of the 2013 would have design consultants for all the stadiums.
Meanwhile, Qatar 2022 bid spokesman Nasser al-Khater said the country was sticking with a summer tournament, although their plans ''would not be affected'' if the international community chose to switch to winter. UEFA President Michel Platini and many top footballers have called for a winter tournament citing Qatar's brutal summer heat.
