The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, the organisation responsible for delivering the infrastructure for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar^TM, has launched a photography competition to celebrate Qatar's budding amateur photography scene and create a group of world-class professional sports photographers ready to showcase Qatar to the world during the historic event.

The competition, which started on Sunday and will run till 14 November, is organised in collaboration with The Youth Hobbies Centre under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Sports. Professionals, amateurs, and photographers over the age of 18 are all eligible to enter by submitting their best sports photography material. Action photos, player portraits and behind-the-scenes shots are admitted.

The winner of the competition will receive QAR 10,000, while the reward for the second and third places are 8,000 and 5,000 respectively. The winning photos will also appear in the Sports Photography Exhibition in The Youth Hobbies Centre and at Building 18 at Katara Hall for one week. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Katara on 14 November.

It is not just cash prizes which are up for grabs. The programme's initial objective is to develop technical skills through a two-year diploma course. As a second stage, successful graduates will go on to gain practical professional experience in association with SC partners so as to hone their skills further in the lead up to 2022.

Khalid Al Jumaily, SC Community Engagement Manager, said: "Qatar has hosted 20 mega sporting events and hundreds of smaller events since 2004 and a local passion for sports photography has grown alongside our hosting capabilities. Through this competition, we want to further support the local passion for photography as part of our preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup."

Abdulrahman Al Hajri, General Manager of the Youth Hobbies Centre, said: "The Youth Hobbies Centre aims to help amateur photographers strengthen their skills to achieve professional standards. We are excited to cooperate with the SC to nurture and diversify the local photography community by raising awareness and creating incentives for people with an interest in photography. We encourage all members of the community to contribute towards raising Qatar's profile as a regional cultural hub by taking part in the competition."

To submit your entry, send your image to community@sc.qa or take it on a USB to the Youth Hobbies Centre at Katara Building 18 before 10 November.