Gulf Times - Aspire Academy recently welcomed the presidents of the Hellenic Football Federation (HFF), Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI), and the Football Association of Serbia at its facilities last week.
Evangelos Grammenos of HFF, Mehdi Taj of FFIRI and Slavisa Kokeza of Football Association of Serbia were all praise for the facility.
Aspire Academy director general Ivan Bravo, Director of Football Performance and Science, Valter Di Salvo, and Director of Sport and Strategy, Markus Egger, welcomed each delegation and accompanied them on guided tours of Aspire Academy’s facilities, including a sneak peek of the Academy’s new Football Performance building, which is still under construction. The FFIRI president was also accompanied by his predecessor Ali Kafashian.
“I have been very impressed by what is going on at this marvellous sports development institution. The possibilities that Aspire offers to the current and future generation of Qatari athletes is excellent. These world class facilities, combined with the right vision for the education and nurturing of sports talent in the country, will leave a lasting legacy for Qatar. Qatar should indeed be proud of Aspire Academy,” Taj said.
Speaking about the Academy’s philosophy and how it all works in conjunction with the Qatari national sports federations and associations, Grammenos said, “It is quite evident that this country has a vision and well-thought-out plans about sport development. l firmly believe that it will reach its objectives in the years to come. Aspire Academy is really impressive and has embarked on a good sports development philosophy which is backed up by world class facilities. Sport in Qatar, particularly football, has a bright future ahead and Aspire Academy has a major role to play to help the country achieve its sporting ambitions.”
Grammenos also visited Aspetar, the world’s leading specialised orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital in Qatar.
Kokeza, who was accompanied by the Football Association of Serbia’s Sport Director, Goran Bunjevcevic, added: “Aspire Academy and its operations are a benchmark for anyone who wants to develop sport. We hope that Serbia and Qatar continue to work together for the mutual benefit of sports development in both countries.
“We can exchange notes on youth coaching and development methods as we’ve both scored some successes in this area, given that our U-20 national team were winners of the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand and Qatar’s won the 2014 AFC U-19 Championships. I am sure even our coaching programmes can build on each other’s experiences and strengths. Judging from the efforts that l see here at Aspire Academy, I am sure that Qatar will put together a competitive team in 2022, one that will represent the country well at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.”