Calgary football fan who worked for the Qatar World Cup Committee is ready for the trip of a lifetime – Calgary

For 18 years, Bruce Halladay and his family called Qatar home. It’s where his children were born and raised, and what they call their second home.

The Calgary IT professional spent his last year on the Supreme Commission for Delivery and Legacy, the body responsible for overseeing all construction and infrastructure projects for the World Cup.

“This is the most technologically enabled World Cup in history,” Halladay said from his home in Calgary on Friday. It surpasses what was done in

During his years on the committee, Halladay laid the foundation for a computer system for global tournaments.

“I still feel like I own a fraction of what this country has been able to do,” Halladay said with a laugh.

Now, four years after leaving Qatar, he is packing his bags and is excited not only to see the results of his work, but to see Canada compete.

“I feel like a teenager, just like I did the last time they qualified. The fact that it’s there just puts the cherry on top,” said Halladay.

Halladay grew up playing soccer for the Blizzard soccer club in Calgary and is still a big fan of the game.

“I played until my twenties. It was a sport I loved all the time, so this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It all came together. It’s something I will cherish forever,” Halladay said.

He hopes that young people will be inspired by both playing soccer and the fan experience that enhanced technology can bring.

“The world is very advanced technologically. The world will need smart people to manage this technology and use it for its proper purpose,” Halladay said. increase. “But it’s also grassroots football, and hopefully in Canada, where the men’s national team has finally reached the level that the women’s national team has achieved over the years, and now both the men’s and women’s teams are at this level. I love this sport and I hope it continues to grow in this country.”

The 2022 World Cup starts on Sunday 20th November. Canada is scheduled to play his first game against Belgium on Wednesday, November 23rd.

Qatar’s World Cup has been the subject of controversy since FIFA designated it as the host country in 2010.

Concerns have been raised over the reported treatment of migrant workers building the World Cup infrastructure, and Qatar’s stance on LGTBQ2 rights has been criticized.

Ottawa has warned Canadians visiting Qatar to help its men’s national football team “dress modestly” and “behave modestly”.

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