Canada’s presence at the World Cup has already led to a surge in registrations, says PAYSA’s technical director

The story originally appeared in the print edition of the Prince Albert Daily Herald on Wednesday, November 23, 2022.

The international spotlight is on Qatar as the 2022 FIFA World Cup unfolds, but the event’s impact is felt around the world.

For the Prince Albert Youth Soccer Association, Canada’s participation in the World Cup has led to a much higher than normal enrollment rate. Dragan Ivkovic, PAYSA’s technical his director, said registration numbers have increased even after Canada’s first qualification.

“Before the start [of the World Cup] About 800 kids were playing soccer after Canada qualified. For a community the size of Prince Albert, this is an amazing achievement. There is a saying, “There is nothing more successful than success.” If we’re lucky enough to do this every four years, I’m sure many young kids will follow suit and play soccer in the coming months. ”

The 2022 FIFA World Cup will span over a month as the championship games don’t start until December 18th.

Ivkovic said the fierce competition was great for football fans after the big upsets in the group stage had already happened.

“It’s a little strange. Everything is very close except the England game. It was Saudi Arabia and Argentina this morning and Saudi Arabia beat Argentina 2-1. It happens once in a lifetime. That’s football. making it the most beautiful game in the world and arguably the most popular.”

Canada will be in Group F alongside Belgium, Croatia and Morocco.

Ikovic said Canada has a great chance to make it through the group stage, but will face stiff competition from some powerhouses.

“I think the more events Canada participates in, the higher the level of football will be. It’s just going to play against a tough team that’s tough.It’s a completely different level in terms of skill and physicality, a completely different tactics and everything.Believe in the boys.”

The 2022 FIFA World Cup Canada will face Belgium on Wednesday at 1pm.

Subheading: Clouded with Controversy

The 2022 FIFA World Cup has been shrouded in controversy since it was awarded to Qatar in 2010.

In 2020, the United States alleged that officials in both Russia and Qatar bribed voting FIFA members to help bid to host the World Cup.

To support the World Cup, many stadiums had to be built to accommodate the matches.At least 6,750 workers have died in Qatar since 2010 while building stadiums, according to an analysis by The Guardian doing.

Similarly, the captains of England, Germany and France were to wear “One Love”-themed armbands in colors representing the LGBT pride flag. I warned these teams that the players would be given a yellow card.

sports@paherald.sk.ca