DOHA: Qatar Football Association (QFA) announced on Wednesday the launch of the first edition of Q League, a new series that will see the participation of 18 reserve and second division teams. Q League is set to kick-start on September 21 and run until December 17, officials said. Matches will be played at nine stadiums: Al Sadd, Qatar SC, Al Gharrafa, Al Rayyan, Lekhwiya, Al Arabi, Al Wakrah, Al Khor, and Al Sailiyah. Q League competition shall be played on a league format where two teams from the second division will be promoted to Qatar Stars League (QSL) based on their ranking, whilst the 13th and 14th place teams in QSL will be relegated from QSL to Q League. The new name of the league represents the joining of the Reserve League and the Second Division League which used to be played separately but now fall under Q League. The new logo is inspired by a football’s circular shape, the new Q League logo engages a sense of skill, unity and endurance. The three swatches that create the round image highlight the energy and enthusiasm of football, coupled with an interlocking design that suggests teamwork and advance planning. The press conference was attended by Hamad Al Mannai, Director of Competitions of QFA, Khalid Al Kuwari, Director of Marketing and Communications of QFA, and members of the media. Following the press conference was the pre-match press conference in which the coaches of each team gave a statement about their preparations and expectations for the league. Commenting on the launch of the new league, Al Mannai, Director of Competitions of QFA said: “We are happy to announce the launch of the first edition of Q League, a league that witnesses the participation of a total of 18 reserve and second division teams. Preparations for Q League have been in place for months now as this league is crucial league that contributes to the development of national football. We had numerous meetings that focused on the organizing of this league to ensure its structured in a successful manner.” Al Kuwari, Director of Marketing and Communications of QFA, said: “We are very excited about launching the new name and logo of Q League. We have formulated a detailed media and marketing campaign for Q League as this is the first edition of this league and want to ensure it receives the coverage it deserves.”