Thirty-six teams consisting of over 1,200 players from over 75 different nationalities, will compete for honours in the Qatar Community Football League (QCFL) this season – a league founded and sponsored by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC).

The league runs from 1 October to 30 April and consists of three divisions. Aspire Foundation has again partnered with the SC to host matches three times a week at the world famous Aspire Park.

SC projects account for 12 teams this season, up from eight in 2016/17. Eight of these teams represent communities who signed a Memorandum of Understandingwith the SC's Community Engagement Division. Generation Amazing, the SC's flagship CSR initiative, and the annual Workers' Cup, the hugely popular SC-sponsored competition for construction workers, have each provided two teams.

The league was launched to create a bond among Qatar's resident communities and capitalise on the country's passion for football.

Tournament organiser Zaid Mosawy, who works in the Secretary General's Office at the SC, said the league's expansion was good news for Qatari football.

"The expansion of the league is an indication of its success during its inaugural season," said Mosawy.

"Social inclusivity and harmony are the core values which the league promotes. We have players aged from 16 to 45, with varying levels of football capabilities. It's an illustration of Qatar's passion for the beautiful game."

Mosawy added: "The league also promotes the virtues of a healthy lifestyle in a fun-filled, competitive environment. Last year's finals day was attended by more than 500 children, and 3000 fans, which is testament to the role played by the QCFL as one of the future torch-bearers of Qatar's rich football culture."

Nasser Al Khater, the SC's Assistant Secretary General for Tournament Affairs, said the league complements the social vision enshrined within Qatar's successful bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup™.

"In our bid, we spoke about harnessing the passion for grassroots football in Qatar through competitive community-based tournaments," said Al Khater.

"The SC's involvement in the QCFL is yet another example of our commitment towards implementing our bid promises. We are also involved in other tournaments, such as the Workers' Cup and annual Ramadan matches, and all our initiatives have proven to be extremely successful for a variety of reasons."