The International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS), the latest sports body to be based in Qatar, says the time has come to standardise procedures so that event organisers - from massive tournaments like the World Cup to small specialist competitions - don't have to worry about finding fully briefed personnel to run their operations.

ICSS President Mohammed Hanzab (pictured) said his centre was in the early stages of setting up a full consultation programme to ensure safer sporting events worldwide.

"We are in permanent contact with international organisations and event organisers and what we have discovered is that there is no set standard," Hanzab told insidethegames here at the International Sports Event Management (ISEM) conference where he was one of the speakers.

"Everybody does their own thing.

"What's missing is the right training and planning, from stealing wallets to crowd management to terrorism."


Hanzab's main adviser is executive director Helmut Spahn (pictured), a former German police officer who was in charge of security at the 2006 FIFA World Cup but who had to pull out of the programme through ill health.

Others on the Advisory Board include Lord Stevens, former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, and Rick Parry, former chief executive of the Premier League and Liverpool.

Hanzab, who conceived the idea of the ICSS, said he chose Qatar as headquarters because the tiny Gulf state is staging so many sports events and represents the perfect platform.

He is trying to encourage security personnel involved in past sports events not to just disappear but to lend their expertise to his organisation.

"We believe in our mission and vision, not in any commercial interests," Hanzab said.

"I have loved sport for 25 years and no one has yet put enough effort into safety and security.

"Sporting events may look quite safe from the outside but they haven't been tested.

"All event organisers start from scratch."

Hanzab, a Qatari, claims that the idea was already well advanced before Qatar were controversially awarded the 2022 World Cup.

"Qatar is between east and west and we were looking for hub," he said.

"We could have based ourselves anywhere but Qatar is particularly proactive.

"We are not just talking about physical security.

"It's an art.

"It should be invisible.

"That's what we are trying to achieve."

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