An ASPIRE student made a triumphant return to Doha after finishing in an astonishing second place in the Lisbon Half Marathon.
19-year-old Mohamed Saleh Idriss formed part of a 1,507-man field of athletes, hailing from 34 different nations, in Portugal on 2nd December. His time of 1:07:35 ensured that he beat all but one; demonstrating an ability to compete at the very top levels of the discipline.
The result was also a new personal best, shaving almost seven minutes from his result in Geneva in May. Mohamed had already caused the racing world to take notice this year at the Swiss event, coming an impressive seventh – and taking the top junior slot – in his competitive debut.
The student has made strong progress since starting at ASPIRE in August 2004. Initially training as a track runner, he moved to road races after coaches noticed his potential in the sport, and recorded a strong performance in a 10km race in Singapore in 2006.
With access to some of the world’s premier sporting facilities, Mohamed’s coaches use in-depth scientific technologies to ensure that the individual strengths of all their young students can be identified and nurtured. Just over a year ago, ASPIRE’s latest silver medallist was singled out as possessing massive potential in long distance running and has since been engaged in a program tailor-made to his individual sporting needs.
The ‘Vam-Eval’ test, for example, ensures that every five weeks Mohamed’s oxygen intake is measured during training, helping his coaches calculate to the ideal pace he should run at various distances to maximize his training time.
Additionally, the Sports Department’s use of training camps adds a valuable dimension to students’ coaching programs. Mohamed’s recent visits with his teammates to St Moritz in Switzerland and Pretoria in South Africa ensured valuable ‘high altitude’ training time.
Mohamed himself responded to the intensity of his training – and the extent of his own potential – commendably, taking on an additional two sessions to ensure he worked with his coaches an impressive 11 times a week. On top of his two astounding results in 2007, he hopes to compete in two more events next year before contemplating a possible jump to the full marathon.
ASPIRE Head of Athletics, Ralf Iwan said: “We are obviously very proud of Mohamed’s accomplishments. His result in Geneva earlier in the year was astounding and his second place finish in Lisbon was simply phenomenal.”
“We also pleased that – combined with the tremendous work ethic that Mohamed has displayed – ASPIRE’s advanced techniques and facilities are helping to produce such brilliant results.”
About ASPIRE
ASPIRE Academy for Sports Excellence in Doha was created in 2004 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 housed in and around the world’s largest purpose built indoor sports dome ensure the Academy’s reputation out as one of the foremost sporting and educational institutions in the entire international community, enticing an ever-increasing number of visitors and users, from sporting legends to global political leaders.
Every aspect of the development of elite athletes is catered for by 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 many more facilities.
The ASPIRE Active programs and the work of Talent Centers spread across the country ensure that thousands of the nation’s residents now have accessible and advanced health and fitness activities as routine aspects of their lives. Each social group is catered for by tailor-made classes and programs.
As of 2007, the ASPIRE Africa. Football Dreams project has tested over 600,000 young Africans from seven nations as part of the biggest-ever talent search in the sport. The top three footballers will be awarded full scholarships to study at the Academy alongside their Qatari classmates.
First and foremost, ASPIRE is a place for those who dare to dream.
ASPIRE TODAY, INSPIRE TOMORROW
www.aspire.qa
