Aspire Zone
The Aspire Zone, also known as Doha Sports City, is a 250-hectare (2.5 square kilometers) sporting complex located in Al Waab district of Doha, Qatar. It was established as an international sports destination in 2003 and in the following year an educational centre for the development of sporting champions (the ASPIRE Academy for Sports Excellence) was opened. The complex contains several sporting venues, mostly constructed in preparation for the 2006 Asian Games.
Members
Aspire Academy Aspire Academy was established in 2004 with the intake of the first 90 students to the Academy. These students were selected out of 8,000 children across the State of Qatar. The first generation of students graduated in 2008 and the Academy, and its groundbreaking programs, is now recognized as one of a leading elite sport institutes in the world.
Aspire Academy provides student-athletes with the right balance between sport and education and creates an enabling environment that is ideal for learning both on the field and in the classroom. Aspire Academy’s curriculum is partially governed by Qatar’s Supreme Education Council (SEC), which has developed curriculum standards in four subjects: Arabic, English, mathematics and science. The SEC standards are also validated by international universities. Student-athletes who meet the standards are expected to be competitive for college admission and jobs throughout the world.
While a significant number of the student-athletes are coached in football, the Academy offers other sports programs including athletics, basketball, fencing, golf, gymnastics, handball, volleyball, table tennis, squash, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, judo and taekwondo.
In August 2012, Aspire Academy’s graduate Mutaza Barshim won a bronze medal in the London Olympics. Twelve days later on 19 August 2012, Barshim clinched a gold medal at the Internationales Hochsprung-Meeting in Germany while on 23 August 2012 the athlete leapt into first place at the 11th event in the Diamond League series in Switzerland.
In addition to being one of the world’s leading sports institutes, the Academy seeks to promote an active sporting healthy lifestyle for the people of Qatar and contribute to sports development in other countries. There are three specific Aspire community programs: Aspire Active, Multisport Skill Development Program and Aspire Football Dreams.
Aspetar
Aspetar is the first of its kind advanced sports medicine facility in the region which works to ensure that athletes can perform at their fullest potential. Aspetar commenced operations in 2007 and in 2009 was recognized as a FIFA® Medical Centre of Excellence.
Aspetar provides a full package of services, from injury prevention to injury management and performance improvement. The philosophy of Aspetar is to provide sportspeople with the clinical support, knowledge and facilities to maximize their training and competitive potential. This is achieved through tailored education programs and support in areas of health, including fitness assessment, nutrition, psychology, physiology and physical training.
The hospital strives to meet the highest international standards obtainable in its treatment of musculoskeletal injuries and combines best-practices with the latest technology to guide athletes from diagnosis through rehabilitation and on to recovery. In addition, ASPETAR is equipped with 25 normabaric hypoxic rooms, which enable athletes to reside in a high-altitude facility, enhancing training regimes and optimizing performance.
Aspire Logistics
Aspire Logistics is part of Aspire Zone Foundation and one of the Gulf region’s most influential and innovative sport service provider. Aspire Logistics is the custodian for the massive Aspire Zone and manages its venues and the international sport activities it attracts.
Aspire Logistics is known for its venue operations and services. These services include event planning and venue management, providing clients with detailed insight into the venue layout, as well as the logistics necessary for their event. It attracts mass participation and spectator events all year long.
Aspire Logistics also leads research into dynamic sport-industry applications and tools, including an iPhone app for professional football coaches.
Corporate Social Responsibility
As part of one of its core mandates to engage and educate the general public about leading a healthy lifestyle, Aspire Zone hosts a diverse range of community-centric events all year round. Some of these programs, events and initiatives include:
- ASPIRE ACTIVE
- Nutrition Week
- Breastfeeding Day
- Aspire Academy talent program
- ASPIRE Football Dreams
- Free public park activities such as distribution of free water bottles.
- Free medical service in Aspetar
- Wheels & Heels
- Walk of Life - Breast Cancer
- 10,000 steps initiative
- Aspire Walkabout
