Following on from a visit to the Workers Cup football tournament which has reached the knock-out rounds, the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace, Mr Wilfried Lemke, has praised the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy’s Workers’ Welfare Standards and called on their swift implementation.

‘During my visits to the Workers’ Cup and workers’ accommodation, 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 in Qatar. 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,’ said Mr Lemke.

Meanwhile, as the Supreme Committee’s Workers’ Welfare Standards are already being implemented on the ground at the first stadium construction site for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ in Al Wakrah, a group of employees from the new stadium’s early works contractor, AMANA, has reached the quarterfinals of the 2014 Workers Cup.

Already into the knock-out stages of the tournament, the Workers Cup continues to improve following the inaugural edition last year. The group stage and round of 16 matches have concluded with a total of 44 games played so far and 8 teams qualifying for the quarterfinals.

Mr Lemke praised the tournament after seeing the action and talking to players on the first match-day:

‘I strongly believe that such efforts will bear fruit in terms of the social legacy that the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will imprint for and beyond the event.’

In 3960 minutes of exciting football at venues across Qatar – including Al Sadd Stadium, where Raúl González plies his trade, for the opening ceremony and inaugural match – a total of 198 goals were scored and celebrated by a large number of spectators and teams in attendance.

‘We are delighted see how this initiative has grown again this year. 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 in the quarterfinals,’ said Nasser Al Khater, Executive Director, Communications and Marketing, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

‘The group stages have been a success, with the launch event at Al Sadd Stadium, the interaction between players, fans and team management on the pitch, as well as the enthusiasm of the players and general enjoyment of the games as some of the highlights so far. We look forward to seeing more top quality matches as the knock-out stages continue this weekend.’

The top goal scorer of the tournament is Dineesh Mogan of Barzan Super Kings, with 13 goals in four games, followed by Alexander Maina from AMANA with 6.

The quarterfinals will be held at Al Wakrah Sports Club this weekend, with considerable crowds expected once more. So far the spectators total has been led by Gulf Contracting, who brought 3,000 fans to the opening match, while ETA Stars (500) and AMANA (250) have also supported their teams in droves. Around 1,000 fans attend a match day on average.

Padam Tamang, a player from Gulf Contacting said: ‘This is a very big opportunity for me to play in big stadiums, to exercise every day in training and have fun with my teammates. I’ve had a lot of fun, this is a great event.’

Over QR 40,000 in prize money will be distributed to the teams, with 1^st place taking home QR 18,000, 2^nd place winning QR 10,000 and 3^rd place rewarded with QR 7,000. The best player wins QR 2,000, with the top goalkeeper taking home QR 1,500. A prize for best sportsmanship is to be awarded worth QR 1,500.

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy and the Qatar Stars League have jointly brought together 24 football teams to vie for the 2014 Workers’ Cup. The tournament aims to use the power of football to engage and create positive social change in Qatar.

- ILQ News -

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