A senior United Nations official praised the actions of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) in implementing its Workers' Welfare Standards during a visit to the Al Wakrah Stadium construction site.

Wilfried Lemke, special adviser to the United Nations Secretary General on Sport for Development and Peace, visited the stadium construction site and the workers' accommodation and said he was pleased with the Workers' Welfare Standards.

"During my visits to the Workers Cup and workers' accommodations, I was pleased to learn about the developments happening in Qatar with regards to the safeguarding of rights of workers on construction sites for the preparation of the 2022 FIFA World Cup™", Lemke said. "In particular, the standards that have been formulated for workers' welfare are a good step in the improvement of conditions. Of key importance now is their implementation, based on a strong monitoring and follow-up mechanism with appropriate capacity and resource allocation. A corresponding adaption of relevant laws would also contribute to the realisation of the World Cup Organising Committee's commitments".

Lemke made his comments after attending the 2014 Workers Cup football tournament. The SC and the Qatar Stars League jointly brought together 24 teams of workers to vie for the cup. The tournament aims to use the power of football to engage and create positive social change in Qatar. It has been a huge success, drawing thousands of fans, who have watched matches at venues across Qatar – including Al Sadd Stadium for the opening ceremony and inaugural match. The tournament will continue through Friday, 2 May.

"I strongly believe (the tournament) will bear fruit, in terms of the social legacy that the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ will imprint for and beyond the event", Lemke said.

Nasser Al Khater, Executive Director, Marketing & Communications for the SC, said he, too, was pleased with the tournament and the enthusiasm it has generated.

"We are delighted to see how this initiative has grown again this year", Al Khater said. "As we make progress on the ground, we will continue to reach out to communities across the country, and would like to wish all the qualified teams success".

Over QAR 40,000 in prize money will be distributed to the teams, with the winning team earning QAR 18,000. The second-place team will earn QAR 10,000 and the third-place team will receive QAR 7,000. The tournament's Most Valuable Player wins QAR 2,000 and the top goalkeeper and the best sportsman will each win QAR 1,500.