Football: A new chapter beckons for host

Click HERE

1) Hosting mega events like this (c/f S'pore's hosting of Trump-Kim summit) is a chance not just to put the country on the world's radar, but also to project a certain image about the country, While S'pore's recent success in hosting the summit has sealed our reputation as a neutral, safe and efficient country, Russia is hoping to use the World Cup as a public relations exercise to repair the damage to its reputation due to the major doping scandal when it hosted the Sochi Winter Olympics a few years ago.
"the spectre of systemic doping still looms for a country that has had a record 41 Olympic medals stripped from its clutches due to such violations."


2) Note the staggering stats involved in the staging of these world class sporting events:

"In the build-up to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, Russia faced criticism after spending a record US$51 billion (S$68.5 billion) on roads, railways, power plants and operating costs. This World Cup is expected to cost US$12 billion, behind only Brazil's US$15 billion in 2014."

3) Hosting the Olympics is also a way to rejuvenate lesser-known parts of the country to give it a much-needed 'resuscitation', as the world's media crew will be there to beam it to the screens of millions(?) across the globe, and investments will be pouring in to build the infrastructure needed to host the games. The London Olympics did just that for Stratford (see HERE). Now Russia is trying to do the same too:

"the World Cup will help to promote lesser-known cities such as Samara and Saransk, as the Winter Olympics did for Sochi."

Qn: Hosting major sporting events creates more problems than benefits. Do you agree? (Cam. 2005)