GAM urges warm welcome to guests during U-17 Women’s World Cup

AMMAN — A Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) official on Sunday urged the public to cooperate with the authorities, keep the city clean and promote the national team as the U-17 Women’s World Cup approaches.

Ahmad Malkawi, the deputy city manager for public works at the GAM, said residents of Amman could promote Jordan and the national team by welcoming visitors and players to the Kingdom and having positive attitudes towards guests. 

The first match of the championship will take place on Friday, according to the Local Organising Committee’s website, with the Jordanian national team taking on Spain.

Malkawi urged people to abide by traffic rules and regulations and to give way to visitors, teams and tourists in the streets, to present a good image of the country.

“As citizens, we have to cheer for our national team and promote not only the matches and the players but also the places tourists and visitors can visit around Jordan,” he told The Jordan Times.

The official said the municipality rehabilitated around seven pitches for football practices for the upcoming World Cup in different areas of the Kingdom. 

“When preparing a whole city to host the World Cup, we look at all the possible venues to host matches and practice around the area. GAM worked on revitalising seven pitches, in accordance with FIFA specifications,” he noted.

The municipality, Malkawi added, works to make the capital a suitable venue for sports by preparing stadiums, parks, and facilities that can be used by athletes and, in the long term, children.

“We aim to create spaces for people to improve the quality of their lives. To highlight the social aspect of things, not only the athletic side; by hosting this international championship, we can promote sports in Jordan in the future too,” he added.

The preparations for the World Cup, Malkawi said, placed Jordan on the international sports map, to lead to more championships taking place in the Kingdom, including the 2018 Asian Football Confederation Women’s Cup.

Nimeh Qatnani, who heads the GAM’s Amman identity and communications department, is in charge of the World Cup preparations.

Qatnani said the overall cost of rehabilitation and preparations for the World Cup reached almost JD31 million, including the infrastructure and road rehabilitation in areas near stadiums.

The King Abdullah II Stadium in Quweismeh was rehabilitated at a cost of JD7.5 million, she said, where around eight matches will be held, including the semifinal match.

GAM personnel focused on organising and preparing the city to remove the ads and signs blocking streets and areas close to the visitor gates.

“Quweismeh traders and vendors were asked to clean the streets and sidewalks in front of their shops to provide residents, players, and visitors with a suitable environment,” Qatnani told The Jordan Times.

Three roads leading to Quweismeh area were renovated by GAM, she said, at a cost of more than JD3 million.

The official stressed the importance of supporting the national team and its role in empowering women.

“We have to support Jordanian teams. Jordanian women are successful in all fields; they have proven that they can empower a whole society when they are empowered. We have to promote their participation in this championship,” she added. 

Sixteen national teams will compete for the World Cup in a total of 32 matches held in six stadiums in Amman, Irbid and Zarqa.