A high-level delegation participating in the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) assembly taking place in Doha this week, was welcomed in Aspire Zone and taken on a tour of its venues, including Aspire Academy, Aspetar, Khalifa International Stadium, Hamad Aquatic Centre and the Torch Hotel.
The delegation, represented by the First Vice President of the National Olympic Committee of Belarus Maksim Ryzhenkov and the Charge d’Affaires at the embassy of Belarus Vitaly Mirutko, were greeted by several officials from Aspire Zone, including the Director General of Aspire Logistics Abdullah Nasser al-Naimi, the Deputy Director General of Aspire Academy Ali Salem Afifa, Acting Chief Administrative Officer of Aspetar Khalid Ali al-Mawlawi and the Director of PR and Communications of Aspire Zone, Nasser Abdullah al-Hajri.
Commenting on the occasion, Acting Chief Administrative Officer of Aspetar, Khalid Ali al-Mawlawi, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Maksim Ryzhenkov for the second time in Aspetar. During his first visit we introduced him to Aspetar’s facilities and briefed him on our services. Our hope is that this visit serves as a stepping stone for potential cooperation between us, as Aspetar and the National Olympic Committee are currently in discussions around signing a Memorandum of Understanding to provide medical services to Belarusian athletes.”
Maksim Ryzhenkov added: “The main purpose of my second visit is to improve cooperation with Aspire Zone. I was very impressed by Aspetar when I first visited and have shared what I learned about its facilities and services with our specialists in Belarus, who found Aspetar to be very progressive.
“As such, we believe it would be a great opportunity for the National Olympic Committee of Belarus and Aspetar to develop an agreement that allows Aspetar to provide rehabilitation programmes for our athletes.”
Meanwhile in Aspire Academy Maksim Ryzhenkov was taken on a tour by the Director General of Aspire Logistics, Abdullah Nasser al-Naimi, and the Deputy Director General of Aspire Academy, Ali Salem Afifa.
After the visit, Ryzhenkov met with Aspire Academy Director General Ivan Bravo to discuss bilateral relations in sports development.
Commenting on this, Ryzhenkov, said: “Aspire Academy’s philosophy of combining sports training and education is worthy of note. My visit here aims to discuss possible cooperation agreements between Aspire Academy and six Belarusian sports academies, specialising in various sports.”
Ryzhenkov concluded his speech by praising the efforts Qatar has taken to establish itself as a sporting leader in the region, saying: “The work being carried out in Aspire Zone and its member organisations is impressive. Qatar has taken significant steps to develop its sports and medical infrastructure.”
This follows a series of visits by VIP delegates participating in the ANOC assembly, comprised of the International Olympic Committee Vice President and President of the National Olympic Committee of Turkey, Professor Ugur Erdener, the CEO of the Los Angeles 2024 Olympic bid, Gene Sykes, Vice Chairman of the Budapest 2024 Olympic bid, Gusztav Bienerth, and the Director of Sport and Venues of the Budapest 2024 Olympic bid, Attila Mizser.
Professor Erdener, visited Aspetar and Aspire Academy on Wednesday, where he was greeted by Mr. Mohamed Khalifa Al-Suwaidi, CEO of Aspire Zone, in addition to Chief Medical Officer at Aspetar Dr. Scott Gillogly and Chief Administrative Officer Khalid Ali al-Mawlawi.
Prof. Erdener was given a comprehensive tour of Aspetar’s facilities, including the Sports Surgery Training Centre (SSTC), media imaging and west expansion departments, and was briefed about the services the hospital provides to athletes.
Professor Erdener praised Aspetar and said: “I’m very happy to have the opportunity to join my fellow scientists in Aspetar in this impressive visit. Aspetar, a research partner of the IOC, has provided significant research contributions to the field of sports medicine, and I’m glad for being able to experience the hospital first-hand.”
Meanwhile at Aspire Academy, professor Erdener was given a tour of the Academy’s premises and sports science laboratories. Professor Erdener remarked that Qatar‘s reputation as a multi-sporting hub has grown rapidly in recent years, partly due to institutions such as Aspire
Academy.
“This is my first time back in 10 years and l have been immensely impressed by the development that has taken place,” Erdener said. After the visit, he signed the Academy’s Wall of Fame before receiving a memorial token from Aspire Zone’s CEO Mohamed al-Suwaidi.
Vice Chairman of the Budapest 2024 Olympic bid, Gusztav Bienerth, said, “Hungary can relate to the Qatar 2022 World Cup bid. It is time for mid-sized cities to be given a chance to host the greatest multi- sport event on the globe, the Olympic Games.
:We are confident the right choice was made by FIFA to select Qatar for the hosting of the FIFA 2022 World Cup. Aspire Zone is a testament to Qatar’s sporting capabilities and proof of what it can offer.”
Director of Sport and Venues of the Budapest 2024 Olympic bid, Attila Mizser added: “It’s challenging for a small city to bid for global events, as it is often awarded to bigger cities.
However, we are hopeful that we’ll be able to showcase our capabilities through our sustainable solutions and memorable projects.”
Meanwhile, the CEO of the Los Angeles 2024 Olympic bid Gene Sykes, accompanied by Consul General of Qatar in Los Angeles Khalid Yousuf al-Sada were given a tour around Aspire Dome in Aspire Zone Foundation by an Aspire Zone delegation.
Commenting on the occasion, Sykes said: “I’m impressed by the extent and ambition of Aspire Zone, and how successful they are at offering local and international athletes the opportunity to improve their performance, and make it more possible for them to succeed. There’s nothing like it, and the Academy should be very proud.”
Mohammed al-Suwaidi, added: “We are indeed proud of our achievements, it’s challenging to produce elite athletes, as it is not a one-day job. It takes years and a lot of hard work.
“Thankfully, we have succeeded in producing star athletes, such as Olympic silver medallist Mutaz Barshim. We will continue moving forward with dedication to enable the sporting potential of young local athletes.”