Aspire welcomes VIP delegation participating at ANOC summit

Aspire Zone Foundation, and its member organisations – Aspire Academy, Aspire Logistics and Aspetar, welcomed a high-level delegation of international sporting organisation in Doha to participate in the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) General Assembly.  
The delegation comprised of International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vice President, and President of the National Olympic Committee of Turkey, Prof. Ugur Erdener, CEO of the Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles 2024 Olympic bid, Gene Sykes, and Vice-Chairman of the Budapest 2024 Olympic bid, Ambassador Gusztav Bienerth.
Delegates were welcomed by senior officials from Aspire Zone, headed by  Mohammad Khalifa al-Suwaidi, CEO of Aspire Zone Foundation, and Nasser al-Hajri, Director of PR and Communications, in addition to others. As part of their visit, delegates were given a tour of Aspire Zone’s venues, and were briefed about the services provided by Aspire Zone to athletes and community members. International Olympic Association Vice President, and President of the National Olympic Committee of Turkey, Prof. Erdener, visited Aspetar and Aspire Academy yesterday, where he was greeted by al-Suwaidi, CEO of Aspire Zone, in addition to Dr Scott Gillogly, Chief Medical Officer at Aspetar and Khalid Ali al-Mawlawi, Chief Administrative Officer.  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.
IOC Vice President, Prof. 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, Erdener was given a tour of the Academy’s premises and sports science laboratories. 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,” Prof. Erdener said.  After the visit, he signed the Academy’s Wall of Fame before receiving a memorial token from Aspire Zone’s CEO al-Suwaidi.
While at the Academy, the delegation representing the Budapest bid presented their proposals in the presence of Aspire Zone’s high level officials.
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 HE Khalid Yousuf al-Sada , Consul General of Qatar in Los Angeles, California, 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 Mutaz Barshim.”