Indonesia’s folding bike team visits 8 WC stadiums in 24 hours

Tribune News Network Doha With the start of the New Year, the countdown to the FIFA World Cup 2022 has begun and all eyes are on Qatar -- the host country....

Tribune News NetworkDohaWith the start of the New Year, the countdown to the FIFA World Cup 2022 has begun and all eyes are on Qatar -- the host country. In such a scenario, what could be a better thing to do than show the world the readiness of Qatar to host the mega event. Under the theme of ‘Unfolding the Compactness’, the Indonesian Folding Bike Team attempted and successfully completed visits to all eight World Cup stadiums on January 1, 2022.The team, comprising seven men and five women, visited all eight World Cup stadiums, using folding bikes as a primary means of transportation and supported by available public transport such as the metro, that provide interconnection among stadiums.Wahyu Hidayat, the coordinator of the event, offered the reasons behind a stadium tour using folding bikes, “Folding bike symbolises compactness, mobility, and fun as does the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar - the most compact World Cup ever in the history! So we wanted to show the football fans, greater football communities and the rest of the world the compactness of the tournament and how we can expect amazing experiences during the World Cup this year.” President of Indonesian Cycling Community (KOPI), J. Andre Pesurnay, also stated “We always appreciate the keenness of our members in doing a good cause, such as this event, within the framework of safe and healthy cycling activities. Thanks to tremendous efforts by the State of Qatar in the recent years, safe bike lanes are now sprouted out all over the country.” During a small closing ceremony at Lusail Stadium after the tour, Ambassador (Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary) of the Republic of Indonesia to the State of Qatar H E Ridwan Hassan said that the Indonesian community has been strong supporters of any sporting events in Qatar as demonstrated in the past, in the recent FIFA Arab Cup 2021 and the upcoming FIFA world cup 2022 Qatar. He added that this stadium tour can be taken as a token of appreciation to the country we live in and love. “The Indonesian people in Qatar are ready to work hand in hand with Qatar to make the 2022 World Cup a memorable event. We thank very much the Qatari government for giving Indonesian nationals opportunities to be involved and be part of the World Cup 2022 and other major sports events in Qatar”, he concluded.The team recorded around 60 km of cycling, use of all three metro lines, 10 metro stations, and a total duration of around 12 hours. The tour started from Al Bayt Stadium and finished at Lusail Stadium. The team had seamless travel between venues thanks to excellent transport infrastructure.Commenting on her experience, one of the IFBT members stated, “It is obvious how ready Qatar is in hosting the World Cup. We experienced ourselves how efficient, comfortable and affordable the public transportation system is in Qatar. It is also so encouraging for us to see some public members give us a tap on the shoulder during the tour. It is going to be the most wonderful World Cup ever”.The 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar will be the most compact World Cup in history. The compact nature means minimal travel times from the airport and accommodation to fan zones, tourist attractions and lastly, match venues, enabling fans to watch multiple live game a day. All eight tournament venues are located across the country at an easily accessible distance and will take no more than an hour’s travel time from one venue to another and maximum 75 kilometres travelling distance between host venues. Fans can travel in and around the city and between stadiums via metro, car, bike or taxi, using advanced transport systems.