Bahrain has a Formula 1 Grand Prix, soon Abu Dhabi will too and Dubai has a rafter of prestigious events like the Dubai Cup and Desert Classic Golf Tournament. And then there’s Qatar. With billions of US dollars poured into the country’s sporting sector, Qatar’s traditional pull as a primarily business tourism destination could be superseded by that of sports tourism – one of the faster growing segments of the 4.5 trillion US dollar international travel and tourism industry.
Sports facilities have already been earmarked as an integral element of the 130 billion USD Qatar is spending over the next ten years. And the importance of sport to the nation’s future already is set in stone with the creation of a visionary sports academy. Launched in 2005 as part of a one billion USD government-funded project,
Aspire Zone is the state’s vehicle for discovering raw talent among Qatari youth and the region and transforming them into world-class, international sports competitors and winners. “Our ultimate aim is to produce champions; not only in sport, but in life and I am proud to say we are well on the way to this goal,” says Dr. Thomas Flock, the Academy’s director.
When Qatar scored a sporting coup of hosting the 15th Asian Games in December last year (after 2.8 billion USD of state investment in upgrading the nation’s infrastructure in preparation), Aspire’s state-of-the-art, international standard facilities played a pivotal role in events. In addition, eight of its students competed. One took a silver medal in the 4.7 Laser Open Sailing competition. “When considering Waleed Sharshani was just 15-years-old, competing against vastly experienced rivals and hadn’t even sailed before he came to us, we have reason to be very proud,” says Flock.
Moreover, Qatar was transformed from tranquillity to embracing the zeal of sports enthusiasm. “If you were in Qatar during the Asian Games you would have seen a genuine excitement and buzz around the place,” recalls Flock. The goal of Qatar and Aspire is to take those seeds of interest in sport and grow them into a national treasure. “We are aiming to capitalise on that enthusiasm and take it to the next level by involving children in our community programmes as young as one-year-old to foster a whole generation of Qataris who participate actively in sport,” says Flock.
Qatar’s population of less than one million means that Aspire takes very seriously its role in identifying and nurturing every talent it can find. “If someone is missed or allowed to drift away there is not another waiting to take his place,” says Flock. The Academy strives to overcome this natural disadvantage through its unique Talent Identification Programme that screens close to 100 per cent of all 11 to 13-year-olds each year. “Through our testing we have already seen genuine potential within the population. By getting them in to the Academy as young as 12-years-old we can instruct them in the best ways to develop their talent. The determination to succeed is fierce in our boys and this gives us great confidence,” he adds. All students are admitted into the Academy on a state-funded scholarship.
Aspire expects its vision to lead to fast growth. Flock anticipates the current number of 165 student athletes and around 175 staff members to swell closer to 1,000 students within a few years, with girls eventually accepted as well as boys. “As our students come of age we will be helping them through tertiary education and their first steps in to the professional world of sports. Our commitment to them is a lifetime one and already we have career management policies set in place,” he says.
With Aspire already proving a winning formula in such a short space of time, could its success be taken beyond its borders? “The brand is not about to be exported any time soon. What we have here is unique,” confirms Dr. Flock. That said, the Academy is looking at ways of reaching in to developing nations to help with their youth development and already has a small number of scholarship students from Africa.
Having proved its hosting credentials with the Asian Games, Qatar’s next goal is the Olympics. Having stepped up to the bidding plate, it has vowed that even if it doesn’t win the hosting of the 2016 games (to be decided in 2009), it will keep going until it does. Chances are that when, and not if, Qatar scores bringing the Olympics to its home turf, several of the gold medal winners will have passed through Aspire’s doors.
Contact
Aspire
Doha, Qatar
Tel +974 413 6000
HYPERLINK "http://www.aspire.qa" www.aspire.qa
HYPERLINK "mailto:communication@aspire.qa" communication@aspire.qa
