29 Nov 2023
Doha - The hard work and training by Aspire Academy’s squash student-athletes continue to bear fruit with success in various age groups at the recent Doha Junior Open.
As well as the event being the final competitive one for the student-athletes in 2023 the Academy’s Pre-Academy Squash programme also ended for the year.
The Doha Junior Open was hosted by the Qatar Squash Federation at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex and featured several Aspire graduates as well as current student-athletes.
Yousef Farag, who graduated in June, emerged victorious in the boys under-19 category as he beat fellow graduate Salem Al Malki in the final.
The under-17 and under-15 categories were won by Aspire student-athletes as Khaled Al Hammadi and Aly Ouda won their respective events.
Nasser Al Sharshini claimed fourth in the under-17s as Marwan Hussein finished as runner-up to Aly Ouda in the under-15s, with Talal Al Badr in fourth place.
In the under-13’s Omar Farag claimed second place.
Aspire Academy Squash Coach Francesco Busi feels that the success is due to the hard work done by the players in recent weeks.
“The effort in training from the boys over the last 2 months has been outstanding and that produces results like these,” he said.
“The level of boys has improved and maybe, more importantly, they have realised that their attitude towards training is key too.”
“They are working really hard to be able to be competitive abroad and to produce results.”
“Motivation is so important for our student-athletes and that comes from being able to compete against international players both here and abroad. It is an essential component of being successful.”
The student-athletes will now continue their training at Aspire Academy until the end of the year as they prepare for further competitions here in Qatar as well as abroad in 2024.
PRE-ACADEMY EVENT
The Pre-Academy players from grades 3 and 4 took part in a two-day mini-tournament to showcase the progress and development they have made in recent months.
The winners won squash rackets, balls, and bags as gifts while all the players who took part were given certificates.
The Squash Coach in charge of the Pre-Academy event, Umair Zaman, was full of praise for the commitment shown by the young hopefuls.
“Throughout the season, our players showed great dedication and progress and this mini-tournament highlighted their growth in both skills and sportsmanship,” he explained. The joy and enthusiasm they brought to their squash training has been uplifting."
“As we celebrate the end of this successful season, it is clear the boys not only improved their squash skills but also developed a genuine passion for the game of Squash.”
“We look forward to seeing this passion grow in future seasons.”
The tournament was part of the process of identifying squash talent who could join Aspire Academy in the future as well as increasing awareness of squash among different schools in Qatar.