FROM LEFT: Ahmed Al Adsani, QNB Stars League Competitions Committee Director, Hassan Rabia Al Kuwari, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at QSL, Turki Al Subaie, Technical Head at the Al Kass Sports Channel and Mubarak Bilal, Representativ
DOHA: Qatar’s nine-month football league will be nothing short of a spectacle, according the organisers of the 12-team competition that kicks off on August 4.
The QNB Stars League (QSL) management yesterday said the stage is set for the ‘best ever’ edition of the annual football competition.
With the start of the new QSL season just days away, hectic behind-the-scenes preparations are in progress as the battle for the Falcon Shield takes centrestage.
Football officials are upbeat ahead of the event and are working overtime to raise the bar to in live up to the high standards set up QSL over the years.
A four-member panel headed by Hassan Rabia Al Kuwari, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at QSL, yesterday gave a preview of what is in store for the new football season in Qatar.
The season’s opening press conference was also attended by Ahmed Al Adsani, Competitions Committee Director, QSL, Turky Al Subaie, Technical Head at Al Kass Sports Channel, and Mubarak Bilal who represented the Ministry of Interior.
“The 2019/2018 football season will be an exceptional period of nine months as the world’s attention switches from the FIFA World Cup in Russia towards Qatar, the hosts of the 2022 FIFA World Cup,” Al Kuwari said yesterday.
AFC Champions League quarter-finalists Al Duhail and Al Sadd along with 10 other clubs will be vying for League’s top honours, which is played on a double leg format on a home and away basis.
With the world attention focused on Qatar, QSL officials are keen to raise the bar to deliver a perfect show.
“As we strive further to promote the country and the FIFA World Cup that will be held here. We will work in an integrated manner with the Qatar Football Association (QFA) and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) since we are all working as a team in order to present the best FIFA World Cup ever,” Al Kuwari said.
“We hope that the new QNB Stars League season will be one of the best ever football in the way the teams play their matches. We also hope that the passion we have for football is also reflected in the coming weeks, months and years before the World Cup.”
The first four rounds matches of the season will be played at just two venues the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium and the Khalifa International Stadium.
“Preparations are full swing and at the highest level and all the arrangements have been made especially at the two stadiums Khalifa International Stadium and Jassim bin Hamad, which will host the first four round matches,” added Al Kuwari.
He revealed that a new initiative related to seasonal tickets is in the offing and which will be operational in the coming days in cooperation with the clubs.
Al Kuwari said that the clubs have a great responsibility in promoting and attracting the fans for the league matches.
“With the return of clubs from their camps abroad there will be meetings so that they can promote and attract more fans for the league matches,” he said.
