Doha: Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022 is the culmination of many years of hard work and commitment from the whole nation and as such Aspire Academy is proud to have played its part in making history.
Aspire Academy was founded in 2004 with the vision of helping Qatar’s sporting development as we aimed to develop champions in sport and in life. We wanted, and still strive, to ensure that Qatar can compete at the very highest level in sport at events like the FIFA World Cup. Now after the global success of academy graduate Mutaz Essa Barshim in athletics it is time for our football graduates to shine on the world stage and reflect the work that we do.
Many of the squad, who will make history as Qatar’s first ever team at a FIFA World Cup, were educated and trained at Aspire Academy, some of them beginning their journey with us when they just five- or six-years-old when they are spotted by our Talent Identification teams. Others will have been picked out by our scouting department who visit clubs and other events – the very best from both avenues are offered scholarships to the Academy. Even before they join the academy to study many five- to eleven-year-olds spend time training at our facilities.
During their time with us their sporting development is overseen by staff members from around the world. Our top-class football coaches are backed by a host of other experts in areas such as science, psychology and biomechanics as well as the latest technology available. The efforts of the student-athletes and the staff is now paying dividends with our graduates and former staff members set to represent Qatar at the FIFA World Cup.
While it will be mainly on the pitch that we will see our graduates in starring roles, we know that they have the skills to shine away from it as well. That’s because all the student-athletes that pass through the academy enjoy an internationally recognised academic education to go along with their sporting development. We strive to prove that education and sport work hand-in-hand to produce well-rounded individuals.
“We at Aspire Academy are proud of our role in Qatar becoming the first ever Arab nation to host a World Cup,” Aspire Academy’s Director General Ivan Bravo said.
“It has been an honour to be part of the entire process – from helping with the original bid, to being involved in the organisation of the tournament to now looking forward to welcoming the teams to our facilities and ensuring Qatar hosts an incredible World Cup.
“BUT our greatest achievement is the part we have played in developing many of the players and coaches that will represent the nation on the pitch and so create history for Qatar.”
It is not just our graduates who are involved in the tournament with several members of our staff also contributing. For example, Bravo himself has roles at the academy and at the Qatar Football Association. There are a further six Aspire Academy employees on secondment to the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy to support the organisation of the tournament.
Aspire Academy was founded in 2004 with the vision of helping Qatar’s sporting development.
How Aspire Academy helps shape Qatar national football team
Aspire Academy is intrinsically linked with all of Qatar’s national teams from the youth sides through to the senior team. The headquarters of under-17, under-20 and senior teams are at the academy’s Football Performance Centre which means Aspire and the Qatar Football Association (QFA) can work closely to help develop the nations footballers. Having QFA offices at Aspire Academy allows officials and players easy access to the latest training and sport science technology.
The nurturing of talent begins in earnest once the potential has been identified and the young hopefuls join the Aspire Academy.
As well as the daily routine of studying and training another key part of their journey is experiencing football outside Qatar. In order to achieve this our student-athletes get the chance to meet and play teams from around the world. During their time at the academy the student-athletes regularly attend training camps and play at tournaments, both in Qatar and overseas. So, our players get the relevant experiences we organise things like the Alkass U-16 international cup and Tri-Series Tournaments.
While the student-athletes represent Aspire Academy at some of these events we also work closely with the QFA when it comes to them playing for the national teams at various youth levels. Indeed, Qatar’s age-group teams often consist entirely of Aspire Academy student-athletes – as was the case with the squad that won the 2014 AFC Asian Under-19 Championship.
From left: Ali Salem and Ivan Bravo
Bringing football world together at our events
Aspire Academy’s impact on football in Qatar goes beyond the playing side of football as we bring together experts at our annual Global Summit, to share new and innovative ideas on how to develop the management and training of youth footballers. We have organised the event since 2014 for the members of the Aspire in the World Fellows, which is made up of some of the biggest clubs in global football, several national football associations as well as leagues.
The latest edition of the Aspire Academy Global Summit in October was organised in conjunction with FIFA ahead of the World Cup.
As well as the Global Summit there have also been the Aspire4Sport exhibitions, with the first one held in 2010.
Welcoming FIFA and other visitors
The Aspire Academy Global Summit 2022 is not the only work we are doing with FIFA. Indeed, Aspire Academy has been involved ever since Qatar put together its proposal to host the FIFA World Cup, with our facilities highlighted as part of the bid. During the process to assess the bids to host the 2022 tournament an inspection team from FIFA visited the Aspire Academy campus.
Once Qatar had been named as hosts the academy was the venue for a presentation of the proposed World Cup stadia to a delegation from FIFA.
More recently we welcomed the match officials from Asia, Africa and Oceania, who are due to officiate at the World Cup as FIFA used our facilities for a conditioning camp. The referees and assistant referees not only enjoyed the use of our world-class facilities and technology but also the support of Aspire Academy staff.
FIFA have also benefitted from the academy’s high-profile staff like former Australia star Tim Cahill and ex-coach Bora Milutinovic, who have worked advisory and ambassadorial roles. The academy’s links with some of the biggest clubs in the world has also led to FIFA using former stars such Real Madrid striker Raul Gonzales and Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez in similar roles.
Since Qatar was named as 2022 World Cup hosts Aspire Academy has welcomed visiting dignitaries, VIP’s and media for tours of the facilities. Several football associations of teams taking part in the World Cup are among the delegations who have visited the academy. The tours highlight the role the academy will play in the hosting of the World Cup and the contribution it has made to the development of the Qatar national team.
Hosting teams during the World Cup
As a result of these visits and Australia and Ghana have decided to use our training facilities during the World Cup alongside Qatar, whose headquarters are permanently based at Aspire Academy.
Hosts Qatar will be staying Al Azaziyah Boutique Hotel which adjoins Aspire Academy’s outdoor training pitches. They will make use of two outdoor pitches as well as the gym, medical area and changing rooms within in the Football Performance Centre.
Australia will be staying on site in the academy’s own accommodation in the West Dormitory, which will also accommodate their medical area and changing room. They will use two outdoor training pitches and the outdoor football gym.
Ghana will be residing off campus but making use of two outdoor training pitches, a newly-built gym, medical areas and rooms adjacent to the pitches. These updated facilities will offer more flexibility to teams who visit the academy after the World Cup.
