By Graham Dunbarn, Associated Press (AP) | Up to 1,600 fans of the teams that qualified for this year’s World Cup [were] being recruited for an all expenses-paid trip to Qatar to sing in the opening ceremony and stay for at least two weeks promoting positive social media content about the soccer tournament and the host nation.
Fans from each of the 32 teams [were] needed for a five-minute, fan-themed section of the ceremony before Qatar plays Ecuador in the opening match on Nov. 20. They will perform a chant or song specific to each country, chosen by the organizers, according to documents seen by The Associated Press.
“We will share with you the chant/song selected from your country to ensure you are familiar with it,” organizers told the fans.
The program has excluded “persons with obvious political affiliation” and aims to recruit 30 to 50 supporters from each team who were able to show “their status as a purist fan,” the documents state.
“The camera will focus on each national fan group in turn,” the recruits have been told about the show at Al Bayt Stadium north of Doha. “Be ready in your shirt, flags and scarves to cheer and shout.”
The fans are being offered economy-class flights and use of apartments worth thousands of dollars to stay until at least Dec. 4, or for the entire tournament if they choose, plus a daily allowance of 250 Qatari riyals ($68).
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Read the full story here:
https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup
https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-sports-soccer-international-middle-east-1ee1dab36f34266b75b03a1176128a18
[Thanks to Alex Teitz for contributing this article! http://www.femmusic.com]
November 3, 2022| Reports| Barb Dye