Doha, January 05 (QNA) - The Media Center for the coverage of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, which will be held from Jan. 12 to Feb. 10, 2024, was officially inaugurated on Friday in Msheireb Downtown Doha.

The opening of the center comes as part of the efforts of the Organizing Committee for the 18th edition of the Asian Cup Qatar 2023, to provide media representatives, including reporters, broadcasters, and photographers, with the necessary technical support to complete their mission of covering the tournament and transmitting the accompanying events, in addition to the service of issuing permits for the tournament.

The center houses several facilities including a press conference hall, which will host all technical conferences for the matches of the participating teams' coaches before the matches, starting on Jan.11 with the opening match conference for Qatar and Lebanon at 11 am.

The center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on match days and closes at 6 p.m. on match days.

It also provides services for photographers and includes a press conference room, broadcast studios, an office for representatives of various media, studios, and offices for work, and a lounge in addition to technical support for photographers.

All of its offices are equipped with Internet, in addition to providing computers for media use, and IT department staff provide technical support, assistance, and technical solutions on the spot.

The center is decorated with the tournament's logo, along with the flags of Qatar, the host country, and the participating teams, as well as the designs of the tournament's mascot family (Sabouq, Fariha, Trina, Zekriti, and Tembaki), who are returning 12 years after their first appearance in the Asian Championship in 2011 (the second edition hosted by Doha).

Qatar, the defending champions and the host, will kick off the tournament on Jan. 12 against Lebanon in Group A, which also includes China and Tajikistan. Group B includes Australia, Uzbekistan, Syria, and India. Group C includes Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Palestine. Group D includes Japan, Indonesia, Iraq and Vietnam. Group E includes South Korea, Malaysia, Jordan and Bahrain. Group F includes Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan and Oman. (QNA)