QATAR is convinced it will have the last laugh as controversy continues to surround its hosting of the 2022 football World Cup.

In an exclusive interview with The Straits Times on Sunday, senior Qatari official Hassan Al-Thawadi downplayed suggestions that the tournament should be moved from the fierce heat of summer for player and fan safety.

This comes after Uefa president Michel Platini said it was too hot to have the showpiece tournament in Qatar in the summer and called for a move to cooler months.

Al-Thawadi, who is the secretary general of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, said: "Whenever you come up with something new, a visionary concept that breaks the mould, people are always going to be skeptical.

"We're very convinced that as we start delivering things on the ground, these criticisms will fall away."

The 34-year-old, who is recognised as a key figure behind Qatar's successful bid, is in Singapore as part of a regional tour to garner support for his candidacy on Fifa's Executive Committee.