Doha:  The Qatar Football Association (QFA) announced at the season launch press conference that the fifth edition of the Qatar Amateur League (QAL) is set for kick-off on Sunday November 19.

The press conference was attended by Ibrahim Shaheen Al Sualiti, Vice Chairman of the Sub-Leagues Committee, Yousef Al Suqairi and Khalid Al Rumaihi, Members of the Sub-Leagues Committee.

The Sub-Leagues Committee at QFA oversees and organises all community leagues and tournaments including the QAL, School League, University League, and the Asian Communities Football Tournament.

This year, the QAL features the participation of 13 teams from across Qatar with three matches being played every Sunday and Monday at 6pm and 8pm.

Matches will be played at three different venues including Doha Stadium, Al Markhiya Sports Club and Qatar University. The league will follow a single round-robin format.

The 13 teams competing in this year’s QAL are Qatar University, Al Khabayib, Madinat Khalifa, The Pearl, Al Nasr, Lusail, Al Thakhira, Al Thumama, Al Maroona, Al Bidda, Al Aziziya, Al Matar, and Doha. A total of 390 players registered for this year’s edition, from which 130 are Qatari.

Organising the QAL demonstrates QFA’s commitment to providing a platform for teams from the social, corporate and governmental sectors to integrate and interact through football in a fun and competitive environment.

Organised by the QFA, the first place team prize will be a cash prize of 80,000 Qatar Riyals, while the second and third place teams will receive a cash prize of 60,000 and 40,000 Qatari Riyals respectively. A special cash prize of 5,000 will be given to the top scorer of the league.

In his speech during the launch press conference, Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, Vice Chairman of the Sub-Leagues Committee which the QAL falls under commented: “We are very excited to kick off another season of the Qatar amateur League and wish all the teams the best of luck. The Qatar Amateur League this year brings together 13 teams representing the social, corporate and government communities of Qatar. The amateur players in Qatar deserve to have their own league and organising the QAL for them illustrates QFA’s vision 2021 to improve and develop community football in Qatar.”

He added: “I would like to thank our partners for their continuous efforts to support the QAL, their support contributes to the overall success of the league and ensures that its ogranised to the highest standards. I would also like to thank Aspetar for the great role they play by providing the necessary medical services for the players and ensuring the medical treatment of players in case of injuries.”

The QAL’s sponsors for this year include The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy as the Official Strategic Partner, Qatar National Bank (QNB) as the Exclusive Financial Partner, Nike as the Official Supplier, Al Kass Channel as the Official Broadcaster and The Look Company as the Branding Partner.