24 Feb 2025
Aspire Academy and the National Academy of Sports (NAS) of the Philippines marked a significant milestone today with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement establishes a comprehensive framework for student-athlete development at both institutions. At the ceremony at Aspire Academy, Mr. Ali Salem Afifa, Deputy Director General of Aspire Academy, and Prof. Josephine Reyes, Executive Director of NAS, formalised the partnership.
The strategic collaboration embraces multiple facets of sports education and development, including student-athlete exchange programmes, joint curriculum development, sports science research, and professional development initiatives. This partnership aims to leverage the strengths of both institutions to foster excellence in student-athlete development.
Established in 2020, NAS currently enrols 226 students from Grades 7 to 10, with its first batch set to graduate this year. NAS and Aspire Academy are both dedicated to developing young athletes academically and sportingly, which means there are opportunities to work together in a wide range of endeavours. NAS offers places to student-athletes across eight different sports and shares athletics and table tennis in common with Aspire Academy, creating some sports-specific opportunities for collaboration and exchange of expertise.
Mr. Ali Salem Afifa highlighted the significance of the partnership: "Our partnership with the NAS in the Philippines is a key step in Aspire Academy's strategy to build strong relationships with top-tier sports institutions worldwide. By collaborating with high-level organisations like NAS, we open doors to new opportunities in various countries, fostering mutual growth and excellence in sports development. Aspire Academy's reputation for excellence has drawn interest from many sports institutions, and we remain committed to strengthening these connections to enhance global sports performance."
Prof. Josephine Reyes emphasised the transformative potential of the agreement: "We look forward to hosting joint training sessions in key sports where Aspire Academy excels, and this will allow our students to train and compete alongside their top athletes, gaining valuable experience at an elite level. Likewise, we are excited to welcome Aspire Academy's students to train and compete with us, strengthening both institutions' athletic programs. Beyond sports, this partnership extends to academic excellence. As an educational institution, we are eager to learn from Aspire Academy's curriculum, teaching methodologies, and student support systems. A key area of interest is how Aspire Academy balances academics with high-performance training, ensuring student-athletes thrive both in competition and in their studies. Understanding these strategies will allow us to create a more supportive and effective learning environment for our students."
The MoU outlines key areas of collaboration between the two institutions, including the development of integrated academic and athletic training programs, the sharing of educational resources and best practices, joint research initiatives in sports science and athlete well-being, and the co-hosting of international events and knowledge-sharing symposiums.
This collaboration marks another milestone in Aspire Academy's mission to position Qatar as a global hub for sports excellence and youth development. It reinforces the academy's commitment to fostering international partnerships in sports education.