04 December,2010 09:25 AM IST | | Agencies
Qatar residents in their thousands turned out to welcome home the the Gulf state's successful World Cup 2022 bidding party on Friday.
FIFA's choice of Qatar Thursday as the host of the 2022 footballing extravaganza, a bid which beat Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States, caused widespread uproar and incomprehension.
However that sentiment seemed lost on the thousands who celebrated the return from Switzerland of the successful delegation, led by Qatar's emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and his wife, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Masnad.
The delegation descended the airplane proudly brandishing the 'Qatar' card which FIFA president Sepp Blatter pulled out of an envelope Thursday to fulfil the dreams of millions of football fans in the region.
An open topped bus then took the delegation on a short trip around Doha, to the delight of thousands of flag-waving supporters.
Qatar's surprise choice was met with disdain from the other bidding candidates.
Football Federation Australia's Jack Reilly said its bid had fallen victim to FIFA politics and Qatar's deep pockets. "The Qatar delegation have been pushing money around for a long period of time," he said.
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