ASPIRE, the Qatar Academy for Sports Excellence, has been named as a Laureate in the Computerworld Honours Programme, an international award scheme designed to recognise organisations that use technology to benefit society.
The Academy was nominated because of the role its innovative network and technology infrastructure has played in supporting its wider vision and goals, in addition to the contribution that it has made to promoting sport in the local community
Saleh Musleh, ASPIRE’s Support Services Section Head, collected the award on behalf of the Academy at an international ceremony in Washington D.C., USA, which was attended by many of the world’s leading technology companies.
The technology achievements honoured by the program will be preserved and protected in US National Archives, and in over 100 universities, museums and research institutions throughout the world.
ASPIRE is the first academic and sporting organisation in the Middle East to receive the honour and was successfully chosen ahead of an international list of nominees.
The Academy’s investment in technology has been designed to create the ideal environment for student athletes and training staff. Its network supports a wide range of activities, including the distribution of educational material across the campus and providing the communications backbone for the school’s physiological, biomechanical and videography laboratories.
ASPIRE also has a raft of new applications in development, including remote login from outside the Academy complex, and a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection which will transfer an employee’s phone to anywhere in the world, for when players and coaches are participating in international competitions.
The Academy’s technological sophistication has enabled it to receive media delegations and VIP visitors from around the world, providing them with an open network to receive e-mail, file news stories and stay in touch with their offices.
This sophisticated infrastructure will play an important role when the facility hosts events during the forthcoming Asian Games 2006 in Doha.
Commenting on the award, Soubhi Abdulkarim, ASPIRE’s IT Manager said: “ASPIRE continues to develop our technological infrastructure so that we are capable of deploying the most advanced sports science solutions and sustaining a high-end network environment.
“This award recognises our Academy’s work in ensuring that students, staff and the local community have access to a full range of opportunities through the provision of advanced technology.”
The award adds to ASPIRE’s impressive roster of international honours, which include recognition in the 2005 Network Middle East (NME) Innovation Awards, as well as Abulkarim being named as one of the Middle East’s “IT Managers of the Year.”
Dr Thomas Flock, Director General of ASPIRE commented: “ASPIRE strives for excellence in every aspect of its operations and we are proud to be recognised by a program that celebrates the positive social impact of advanced technology. Our aim is to provide an important education and learning environment for the people of Qatar and this award underscores our ongoing efforts in this area.”
About ASPIRE
ASPIRE, the Academy for Sports Excellence, Doha, was created with the dual aims of identifying and transforming promising student athletes into world renowned champions across a wide range of sports and to act as a beacon to draw sporting culture into the centre of life in Qatar and the surrounding region.
The Academy is distinguished by a philosophy which aims to develop the whole student, providing them with full academic, social and sporting development.
Unrivalled facilities mark the Academy out as one of the world’s foremost sporting and educational institutions, and entice an ever increasing number of visitors from across the spectrum of world sports to use or simply view them. These same facilities will also play host to events during the forthcoming Asian Games 2006.
With one indoor and seven outdoor football pitches, athletics tracks, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, diving pool, combat arenas, gymnastics arena, specially designed weight rooms, lecture halls, dormitories to accommodate what will eventually become 1,000 students, a medical centre and more besides, much beneath the world’s largest purpose built indoor sports dome, every aspect of the development of elite athletes is catered for. ASPIRE is a place for those who dare to dream.
ASPIRE TODAY, INSPIRE TOMORROW
www.aspire.qa
