Registration opens for chance to commentate during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

This is your chance to commentate on matches during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

Tournament organisers are seeking people to provide audio descriptive commentary for blind and partially sighted fans during this year’s World Cup, which will run from 21 November to 18 December.
Both Arabic and English speakers are needed for the project, which will provide free training from 19 March until October. Interested applicants must submit a 60-second audio recording of themselves commentating on a football match of their choice, in either Arabic or English. Candidates will be assessed on their overall aptitude for commentating and the quality of the audio recording. 

The project is being organised by the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC (Q22) in collaboration with Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s Translation and Interpreting Institute (TIL) and the Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE). FIFA has provided audio descriptive commentary at major tournaments since 2014; however, the service was offered in Arabic for the first time at last year’s FIFA Arab Cup™, which was hosted by Qatar. Fans can avail the service by downloading an app to their personal device. The service provides detailed play-by-play updates, including the reaction on players’ faces and the atmosphere in the stadium.

Q22 Sustainability Senior Manager, Jose Retana, said: “After a successful trial run at select matches during the FIFA Arab Cup, we are keen to provide audio descriptive commentary on a wider scale during Qatar 2022. Having the ability to provide the service in the Arabic language encapsulates the legacy this World Cup is going to deliver.”

Blind football fan Faisal Al Kohaji, from Qatar, listened to the commentary during FIFA Arab Cup™ matches.

He said: “The commentary allowed me to immerse myself in the game. I love football and I want to know exactly what’s going on with my favourite players, and how the team is performing, and this was one of the first times in the stands where I got to experience that.”

“In the past, I had to rely on the description of a sighted friend or make do by listening to a time-delayed video of the match on my phone,” continued Al Kohaji. “But this technology allows me to enjoy the action on the pitch in the same way as everyone else.”

For registration and more information click https://tii.qa/ADC22