In a video recently circulated on social media, spectators in the island nation were seen picking up all the rubbish and cleaning the stadium after Ecuador’s opening match against hosts Qatar on Sunday.
Posted on – Wednesday, November 23, 2022 at 02:00 pm
Cole: At the end of the opening game of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Japanese soccer fans put on some surprisingly graceful displays at Doha’s Al Bayt Stadium.
In a video recently circulated on social media, spectators in the island nation were seen picking up all the rubbish and cleaning the stadium after Ecuador’s opening match against hosts Qatar on Sunday.
gorgeous!Dozens of Japanese fans stay behind to clear stadium stands after Qatar-Ecuador match
The Japanese waited for the stadium to be empty and then brought their own garbage bags to clean up as everyone rushed to the stadium exit to avoid the traffic pic.twitter.com/CnPGEuNGqg— Gas_01 (@GASoline_001) November 22, 2022
Originally shared by Qatari video creator Omar Al-Farooq, he was in awe of the humility and discipline of fans in the East Asian nation.
“It’s not even their match!” Farouk exclaimed.
When the video creators asked why they were cleaning up, one of them replied: “The Japanese never leave garbage.” “We respect this place,” she added.
“We’re not doing this to take pictures,” said another fan, wearing a Qatar jersey.
Not just one or two people, but large numbers of Japanese spectators volunteered to clean the seating areas of the 68,000+ capacity stadium.
They also pick up flags left on the ground by other spectators and place them on stadium chairs or carry them with them.
People were moved to see Farouk, who hugged some of the volunteers and thanked them for their kindness.
They said they didn’t do it for the cameras, but I’m glad the cameras still spotted them. The values they demonstrate deserve to be appreciated by a global audience. #WorldcupQatar2022 pic.twitter.com/zsijHH2qsX
– Anand Mahindra (@anandmahindra) November 22, 2022
The video touched many people around the world, including businessman Anand Mahindra. “They said they didn’t do it for the cameras, but I’m glad the cameras still found them. The values they displayed deserved a global audience,” he wrote on Twitter.
The opening match of the 2022 World Cup was between hosts Qatar and Ecuador, which Ecuador ultimately won. For the first time in history, a multi-national football match will be held in the Middle East. It is also the first time the World Cup has been held outside the June-July window to avoid the scorching heat of Qatar.
