Inaugural E-QSL to be played from Mar 21-23 at Doha Festival City

The Qatar Stars League (QSL), in co-operation with Qatar Esports Federation (QESF), launched the inaugural Electronic Qatar Stars League (E-QSL) at the Al Bidda Tower Wednesday.
Hassan Rabiah al-Kuwari, Executive Director of Sales, Marketing and Communication at QSL, and Ahmad al-Meghessib, Tournament Manager, addressed the media providing details. Later the draw for the tournament was also held.
The first E-QSL tournament will be held at the Virtuocity Hall of Doha Festival City mall from March 21 to 23, 2024 and features twelve 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League teams - Al Ahli, Al Arabi, Al Wakrah, Qatar SC, Al Rayyan, Al Sadd, Al Gharafa, Umm Salal, Al Shamal, Al Markhiya, Muaither and Al Duhail.
The initiative aims to open new horizons for QSL and club companies to enter the field of e-sports and keep pace with the tremendous development of this game in addition to support the Qatar e-sports team, expand the base of participation in society and refine and develop talent in this sport, which is of interest to a large segment of fans, especially the youth.
The competitions of this tournament will be electronic through the famous game (FC 24), developed by EA Sports, where the 12 teams and players will compete to win the title to qualify and play in the qualifiers for the Esports World Cup, to be held in London in August, 2024.
Commenting on the initiative, al-Kuwari said, “We’re pleased to announce today the launch of Electronic Qatar Stars League, which allows QSL and club companies to enter the world of e-sports with the aim of spreading and expanding the base of participation among sections of fans and discovering new players. Club companies can support the Qatar e-sports team in qualification for official participation, and we look forward towards achieving all our goals and aspirations for this project. We also thank the partners and all our stakeholders and wish everyone success in the tournament’s inaugural edition.”
Al-Meghessib, a former esports player himself, said, “The importance of launching Electronic Qatar Stars League comes in view of the great development in the field of electronic sports in the region. It is also considered as one of the most important aspects of agreement with QESF as the league aims to raise the level of competition between players and raise awareness among clubs about e-sports. The big goals include developing players to the level of representing the Qatar e-sports team in various international competitions.”
Elaborating on the launch of the tournament, he said, “I had this proposal since 2018-19 but at that time esports wasn't that a big thing in the region. I again presented the proposal and this time, I was approached by the QSL and Qatar ESports Federation and it is a pleasure to kick-off the biggest esports event in the country. I hope this would be the first step to many big things in the future.
“In my time when I played we reached the World Cup three times but now we want to tackle different games for the youth and for a bigger community. And to build such a thing we need to start with an entity like the QSL and Qatar ESports Federation. If you look at the format with 12 teams and the prize, if I was a young player I would be shouting from the rooftop.
“Now I am a part of giving this opportunity to the community in Qatar and I hope we have a great and successful event with bigger version of the events in the future Inshaallah.”
The participating teams have been divided into two groups after a draw of lots. Group A includes Al Shamal, Al Duhail, Muaither, Al Gharafa, Qatar SC, Al Sadd while Group B has Al Wakrah, Al Rayyan, Al Ahli, Al Markhiya, Al Arabi and Umm Salal.
Game format (one x one): Four teams from each group will qualify for the quarterfinals, which will be followed by semi-finals and final.
The matches will be broadcast live on QSL’s social media platforms and will also receive media coverage highlighting the league’s clubs, players, matches, best moments and celebrations.