'FIFA must consider players in Qatar 2022 decision'

He is the player whose heart stopped beating for 78 minutes and who subsequently retired at the age of 24.Now the welfare of footballers is top of Fabrice Muamba's agenda and he has urged FIFA to put the wellbeing of players at the center of any decision on the scheduling of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced on Twitter last month that no decision on the staging of the 2022 World Cup -- be it in Qatar's summer or winter -- would be made until after the 2014 tournament in Brazil."I hope FIFA will have a second thought because playing in those conditions is very dangerous for people," the 25-year-old told CNN."The heat and the humidity in that country can damage people; they have to look at the bigger picture."Former England Under-21 international Muamba suffered an on-field heart seizure while playing for Bolton Wanderers against Tottenham Hotspur in March 2012.The Congo-born midfielder was revived by medics before making a remarkable recovery in hospital."You worry, not just me but every player," continued Muamba. "The humidity, the heat, playing in those conditions it is very worrying."President of world football's governing body since 1998, Blatter launched a consultation process on the issue involving "all stakeholders in Qatar 2022."Harold Mayne-Nicholls led the FIFA inspection team which examined each of the bidding countries for the 2022 World Cup before delivering his report in October 2010.Mayne-Nicholls concluded that Qatar was a high-risk option because of its soaring temperatures -- but it was still chosen by 14 of the 22 executive committee members in the final round of voting in December that year."In June and July you cannot play," Mayne-Nicholls told CNN last month when asked about the conditions in Qatar."It's not for the players. The players will be OK with the cooling system but what about the fans?"You'll have 50,000 fans walking three, four, even six blocks or more like in South Africa where I walked 10 blocks."They will be walking in 40 degrees and it's too much. One or two crucial cases will damage the entire image of the World Cup and we must be careful."Muamba is pleased his experiences have raised awareness of heart conditions in football, but he wants to see the sport continue to prioritize player safety."We're trying to reach a standard where we're providing the best available equipment for the boys," said Muamba, who began his career with Arsenal. "Also making sure every player gets a heart screen so we detect any damage or any medical issue."What I tried to do was raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest, having a defibrillator not just in the stadium but in every public place so we can save lives and ensure peoples safety."(CNN)ANN.Az