Last minute recruits in Qatar highlight World Cup security issues

DOHA : Less than three weeks before the World Cup, Qatar's tournament security committee hired hundreds of men, some with no experience, to work as security guards tasked with crowd observation inside stadiums, two of the recruits told Reuters.

The men from countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan and Indonesia attended theoretical training at Qatar's police college in early November, received uniforms and were deployed to stadium training sessions for the first time just days ahead of one of the world's biggest sporting events.

Some of the recruits had security backgrounds, but there were also day labourers, drivers and office workers, one of the recruits said.

The last minute preparations highlight the logistics challenges Qatar has faced in the run-up to Sunday's kick-off. The small Gulf state has trained more than 50,000 people to provide security for an expected wave of 1.2 million visitors from around the world.

According to one of the guards, recruits received training for up to 10 hours a day on potential crowd control issues, including how to deal with drunk people.

"We talk to them to understand their health condition. If he is okay to walk, we send him on his way. If not, paramedic teams take over," said the guard, who is tasked with observing 50-100 people in a section in the stands, not close to the pitch.

He estimates more than 1,200 people were recruited in his cohort – all resident in Qatar.

With a population of 3 million - of which around 12 per cent are Qatari nationals - Qatar faced a shortage of personnel as it gears up for the month-long FIFA tournament.

Qatar is the first Middle Eastern country and smallest nation ever to host the World Cup. While it has spent billions of dollars on