24 Dec 2015
Doha, 24 December 2015. Since gaining accredited training centre status by the IAAF (International Association for Athletics Federations), the Aspire Academy has seen an increasing number of track and field athletes come and prepare for major sport events. In November and December of last year, two groups of British sprinters came to Doha to prepare for the upcoming 2016 Olympic Games.
Among the twelve athletes who chose the Aspire Academy for their preparations were some big names, such as the 2014 100m European champion, James Dasalou, the 2014 200m European Champion, Adam Gemili, and the 2013 100m European Junior Champion Chijindu Ujah.
Ujah spoke highly of the camp at Aspire: “Aspire Academy is one of the top facilities for training and we’re delighted to be here.” Along with his teammates, he had the opportunity to train with some of the Aspire Academy’s student-athletes. “They have a great environment here and nothing should stop them from aiming high. With the right attitude and the right support, anything is possible”, he added.
Steve Fudge, Sprint Coach for UK Athletics, commented: “With the Olympics coming up in 2016, it’s really important that we train at the best place possible. Here, the environment is perfect: the temperature and the facilities are great, and we also have the chance to train with a world-class sports science team. Coming here is an important part of our preparations for Rio 2016, where we want to take on the Jamaicans and Americans in the sprint events. We therefore need to prepare our athletes to be as good as possible.”
Commenting on the development of athletics in Qatar, Jonas Dodoo, Head Coach of ‘Speed Works’ said that progress is visible: “There is a lot of support for athletics in Qatar, given that the 2019 World Championships will be held here in Doha. The athletes and coaches in Qatar are smart and motivated, and athletes like Mutaz Barshim are great role models. Qatar is full of talents in different sports, so let’s see how they develop over the next couple of years.”