ASPIRE sailing student Waleed Al Sharshani, 15, recorded a bronze medal finish in this month’s Europa Cup in France, the best ever finish by an Arab athlete in the history of the event.
The Europa Cup is an ISAF Grade 2 event, placing it second in importance only to World and Olympic competitions.
In a successful team tour of European destinations, fellow students and team-mates Hassan Al Tamimi and Mohammed Al Zaini were also on form, with Al Zaini taking a silver medal at the Holland Regatta the following week and Al Sharshani once again taking bronze.
Al Tamimi’s achievement – posting a final placing of 13th in the Europa Cup – was notable for the fact that he had never before competed in the Laser 4.7 class. Normally competing in a smaller Optimist vessel, the Qatari youngster made the step up purely to gain experience at a prestigious international event that is reserved for the bigger craft only. The effortless way he took on the challenge reasserted his fast developing talent.
All three athletes split their training between the Doha-based ASPIRE Academy for Sports Excellence – where an all-round physical and academic education is provided by highly skilled staff exploiting the latest sport science equipment and methodologies – and the Qatar Sailing Federation.
The level of cooperation and unity of purpose provides the platform for the young sailors to learn. Qatar team Coach Khalid Bettihthamou is confident the association will continue to bear fruit in the future, with the athletes’ exceptional natural talent nurtured to its fullest potential.
Khalid Bettihthamou said: ‘These results are testament to the productive collaboration between the federation and ASPIRE, and the determination and hard work of the athletes themselves.
‘I see this as proof that ASPIRE’s sailors are now able to compete on the international stage, not only in qualifying but in having genuine expectations for medal positions. As a consequence, we are receiving more and more invitations to events such as this.
‘That we saw this month the best performance of any Arab sailor at a Grade 2 event gives me an enormous sense of pride as a coach. Our athletes are becoming widely recognised as potential champions and I am confident they will continue to progress over the coming year.’
Photo caption: Members of ASPIRE’S Medal-Winning Qatari Sailing Team
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.
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 dedicated health 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
