EYES ON CHINA GOLD - Qatar Olympic Committee

News
in Brief
ASPIRE students earn
their wings at the
graduation ceremony.
Qatar’s Nasser Saleh
Al-Attiyah along with
Northern Irish co-driver
Chris Patterson dominated the FIA
Middle East Rally Championship,
when they won 12 of the 13 special
stages of the 8th Syrian International
Rally. The defending regional
champions began the final day
almost four minutes in front of their
nearest rivals and produced great
performance over the fast gravel
stages that make the Syrian event
one of the most challenging in the
Middle East. The duo’s winning
margin was a staggering 5 minutes
and 20.7 seconds.
Aspire inspires
first graduates
The current men’s 3,000m
steeplechase world record
holder, Qatar’s Saif Saeed
Shaheen secured the silver medal
at 5000m during a comeback race
in Belgrade, Serbia in May - his
first race since September 17,
2006 when he won the World Cup
steeplechase. Due to injuries, he was
not able to run during the whole of
2007 and missed the Osaka World
Championships. The athlete will
compete at the Beijing Olympic
Games for Qatar.
Al Ahli on Friday night
beat Al Sadd, 29-28, in the
Emir’s Cup handball final
at Al Gharrafa Hall. Al Sadd were
aiming to win their eighth Emir’s Cup
title, but Al Ahli denied them at the
final hurdle by juts one point. Sheikh
Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani,
Secretary General of the Qatar
Olympic Committee, handed over
the trophies to the winners and the
runners-up at a spectacular prize
giving ceremony.
Q-League champions Al
Gharaffa have signed a
two–year contract with
Fernando Lucio da Costa, a proven
goal scorer from the Brazilian club
Internacional. The 30-year-old was
joint top scorer in the 2006 Copa
Libertadores and voted Man of the
Match in the South American final
which was won by Internacional.
Qatar’s ASPIRE Academy has celebrated
a milestone with the graduation of its first
student intake.
The graduation ceremony marked a
historic moment for the Academy, with the
students - some of who joined at the age of
thirteen years old - moving on to further
education, vocational training and even full
athletic careers.
In total, 23 successful students graduated
at the ceremony, the majority of whom joined
the Academy in 2004 following its launch.
Experts from ASPIRE’s Quality
Management, Education and Social Affairs
Department (QESA) have ensured that the
young men have been provided with a fullyrounded
program of learning, both in and out
of the class room.
Among the graduates are students who
have specialised in football, table tennis,
athletics, swimming and squash. All of them
have balanced a busy sporting schedule
with diligent study and education across an
advanced curriculum.
Guest of honour at the Graduation
Ceremony was ASPIRE Ambassador and
triple world record holder Hicham El
Guerrouj of Morocco.
The double Olympic champion, who
broke world records for the 1,500 meters, the
mile and 2,000 meters, spoke to the students
about the importance of study and dedication
as part of a successful career in athletics.
“Internationally, ASPIRE is recognised
as a pioneering project to discover and
develop world-class athletic talent in
Qatar,” El Guerrouj said. “The students
who have graduated today were among
the first pioneers, and they deserve our
congratulations and support.”
ASPIRE’s Career Management
programmes provide guidance throughout
students’ time at ASPIRE, ensuring that every
student athlete leaving the Academy possesses
a professional or academic career plan
consistent with his capabilities and interests.
Many of the successful students have
developed exceptional aptitude in their
chosen sporting field. Class valedictorian
Ahmed Khalil addressed his fellow student
athletes at the ceremony, and urged them to
continue to train and develop their skills.
Ahmed Khalil said: “The graduating
class of 2008 all look to make the best
possible contribution to Qatar, whether as
sportspeople or in our future careers. ASPIRE
has given us a very strong start by providing
us with both sporting development and
education - we now need to ensure that we
build on this platform.”
Since its opening, the Academy has
successfully created an environment that
supports the student athletes, and the success
of the graduates is an important benchmark
for the Academy’s growth.
Prof. Dr. Dieter Hackfort, Dean of
ASPIRE said: “Each and every student has
made remarkable progress during their time
with us in their personal development and
in achieving success both academically and
in their chosen sport. These students will
be an inspirational example and will induce
motivation to other students at ASPIRE, and
to other young athletes in the region.”
The students, he said, have competed in
national and international tournaments across
the world, giving them an understanding of
competing at the highest level.
8 QatarSport Q3.08