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LONDON -- Playing the 2022 World Cup in the searing summer heat of Qatar is "not rational and reasonable," FIFA President Sepp Blatter said in a newspaper interview. Despite health concerns included in an official report before the vote, the FIFA executive committee opted for the tiny emirates bid in 2010. Blatter has repeatedly refused to say if he backed Qatar. "Whether its the right choice, thats up to the executive committee," Blatter said in an interview published Wednesday in French newspaper LEquipe. "The problem is knowing whether it can be played in June-July in Qatar." Air-conditioned stadiums to beat the 50-degree C (122-degree F) heat were a defining theme of Qatars bid, but the cooling technology only resolves the problem in venues for players, fans and officials. "The World Cup is more than just stadiums, its an array of social and cultural activities around the competition," Blatter said. "What do we do? Its not rational and reasonable to play in June-July. "Our technical report, which was available to all the members of the executive committee before the 2010 vote, exposed these difficulties." Without directly criticizing the decision, Blatter said voters were influenced by the pressure to take the World Cup to the Middle East for the first time. "There were interventions at different levels so that it would go to an Arab country," Blatter said. "Geopolitics did its work." FIFA vice-president Michel Platini voted for Qatar but has previously said that it was not due to pressure from then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy. "Before the awarding of a World Cup or Olympic Games, there is a meeting with the politicians," Blatter said. "We had it here in Zurich. They influence the voters. England didnt get the 2018 World Cup and, ever since, there has been a Cold War with FIFA." FIFAs lead ethics prosecutor, Michael Garcia, has been examining allegations about how Russia and Qatar won hosting rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively, after a series of corruption allegations surrounding the bidding process. But Blatter said "nobody proved that there were payoffs so that Qatar was chosen." "The ethics commission can open an investigation," he said. "That would be good to prove that this was done correctly." Blatters own future remains uncertain, with two years until the FIFA presidential elections. The 77-year-old Swiss recently backed away from a 2011 promise that this would be his fourth and final term running FIFA. Now, though, Blatter appears to be endorsing Platini, the former France great who is president of UEFA. "Hes my natural candidate because we have done it all together," Blatter said. "As soon as I took over the presidency (in 1998), he was my technical adviser. Then we built a sporting policy at FIFA. Then he became president of UEFA (in 2007). Its the right track." The pair, though, have clashed on the use of goal-line technology, with Platini against referees being given high-tech aids. And Blatter adds a caveat with his endorsement of Platini, stressing that his support would only be "if he continues in the direction of universal football." Custom Jerseys Wholesale . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. Custom Jerseys Hockey Outlet . Isner, ranked No. 14, won his eighth career singles title and took the title in New Zealand for the second time after his victory in 2010. The match was similar to Isners quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber which went to three sets, all tiebreaks and contained no breaks of serve. http://www.hockeyjerseyscustom.com/ . Jordan Lynch, the all-purpose Heisman Trophy finalist from Northern Illinois, failed to make it into that exclusive club. Cheap Custom Hockey Jerseys . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. Custom Winnipeg Jets Jerseys Cheap . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings.QUEBEC -- Olympian Jennifer Abel set a personal best score and Philippe Gagne, a 15-year-old diver from Montreal, won the gold medal on the mens 10-metre tower on Sunday at the Summer Senior Nationals diving competition. The competition is also a selection event for the FINA World Championships July 19 to Aug. 4 in Barcelona and the World University Games in Kazan, Russia July 6-17. On womens three-metre, Abel totalled 374.55 as she closed within 20 points of the Canadian record held by Blythe Hartley since 2008. Pamela Ware of Beloeil, Que., was second with an impressive 342.60 and Aimee Harrison of Winnipeg third at 290.65. "Im pleased with my day," said Abel with her sixth national crown. "Ive had a really great season so far and I had confidencce with all the work Ive put into it.ddddddddddddquot; Abel received her best score for her forward dive in the second round and also nailed her reverse dive, which had been given her trouble all season for four 8.5s, two 9.0s and a 9.5. Gagne earned solid scores on four of his six dives in the final including his two most difficult ones to end the competition for 397.95 points. Fraser McKean of Victoria took a surprise silver at 393.45 and Maxim Bouchard of St-Constant, Que., the event favourite, was third at 391.35. "Im really surprised," said Gagne, a ninth grader who started diving at age six. "I had a pretty good final. All my dives were stable. This is a list Ive had for a year now and I feel really comfortable with it." ' ' '