The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) launched the new, state-of-the-art training facilities for Al Rayyan Sports Club last night at a ceremony attended by players, coaching staff, club management and senior officials from the SC.

The new training pitches are located at one of the zones adjacent to Al Rayyan Precinct alongside the Al Rayyan Stadium, a venue that will host games up to the quarter-finals at the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ and which will be the eventual home of Al Rayyan Sports Club.

The training pitches will be used for the upcoming season of Qatar Stars League (QSL) and were completed as part of the early works package in order for the club to continue with their operations until the stadium is completed in 2019.

Last month, the SC announced that Qatari contractor, Al Balagh Trading & Contracting, and India's biggest construction firm, Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T), had been appointed as the main contractors to build the 40,000 seater Al Rayyan Stadium

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ghanim Al Kuwari, Competition Venues Executive Director of the Technical Delivery Office at the SC, said: "It's a great achievement to get Al Rayyan Sports Club back on home soil for training ahead of such an important season for them as they look to defend their QSL title. As is the case with all of our venues, we emphasize the importance of getting feedback from the local community and stakeholders, which in this case was the club itself, hearing exactly what it is they want from the precinct and the actual stadium."

He added: "The opening of these new training pitches marks a pivotal moment in the development of this site and the club itself and gives a glimpse of what the finished Al Rayyan precinct will look like in 2019."

Mr. Ali Salem Afifa, Al Rayyan Club Football Operations Manager, commented on the opening of the new pitches: "We are honored to be part of the joint effort in delivering this milestone. The new facilities combined with the emotional boost of returning to the Al Rayyan site gives the entire club a lift and a lot of hope heading into such an important season. In just over six years' time the first ball will be kicked at the 2022 World Cup and we're proud that Al Rayyan and the new stadium will play such a big role in the world's biggest football tournament."

Al Rayyan football star Sebastián Soria added: "The team are thrilled to be back and are all looking forward to our pre-season training on the new pitches. It's not unusual for training grounds and sporting stadiums to be world-class in Qatar, and the new training sites for Al Rayyan are no different. This motivates us even more ahead of the new season and everyone at the club is excited at the prospect of moving into our new permanent home in 2019 when he stadium is finished."

The SC recently announced that eight floodlights from the deconstructed former Al Rayyan Stadium have found new use at the club's newly-constructed training sites. The successful deconstruction of the old Al Rayyan Stadium and its surrounding site was completed in February 2015, with at least 90% of existing materials at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium reused and recycled. Projects like this demonstrate that environmental sustainability is at the heart of all SC projects.

Post tournament the stadium will accommodate 20,000 seats and will be the home for Al Rayyan Sports Club. All construction on infrastructure for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ is slated to be completed by 2020, two years prior to the tournament beginning.