Kuwait off to an emphatic 7-wicket win over hosts Qatar in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Asia Qualifier A

 

Kuwait off to an emphatic 7-wicket win over hosts Qatar in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Asia Qualifier A

 

Doha, Qatar: Kuwait coasted to an emphatic 7-wicket win over hosts Qatar in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Asia Qualifier A 2023 match at the West End Cricket stadium in Doha on Thursday.

 

In the match between the two regional rivals, Kuwait had sweet revenge of their 1-run defeat suffered at the hands of Qatar in the recently concluded Gulf Cricket T20i tournament which took place at the same venue which Oman won defeating UAE.

 

Chasing a modest target of 124 in the allotted 20 0vers Kuwait were never in doubt of achieving the target and cruised towards the target thanks to a terrific start from the openers Ravija Sandaruwan and Meet Bhavsar.

The duo put on 75 runs for the opening wicket with Ravija, who was adjudged the man-of-the match award falling for his individual score of 29-ball 42, laced with three hits to the fence and two sixes.

The other hand Meet contributed with 28 runs from the 19 balls he faces and reached the boundary twice and twice set the ball soaring over the fence.

The two openers had their task cut out, use the feet against the slow bowlers and not allow them to settle down and that is what precisely they did.

Qatar ploy of yet again using the slow bowlers to open the attack and made it difficult for the rivals to score did not work.

The Kuwait openers were not frightened to use the feet and never allowed the Qatari bowlers to settle into a lien and length and that half the battle won.

Both the opens were confident in what they were doing and did it with aplomb.

Meet fell at the team total of 78, the fall of two quick wickets, both falling to Mumbai-born lad Himashu Rathod gave the hosts a glimmer of hope of an unlikely win.

One-down man Clinto Anto rotated the strike perfectly to make 19 in 25 balls, with all his runs coming in ones and twos.

At the other hand Usman Patel took the attack to the Qatari bowlers using his feet and not allowing the slow bowlers to settle down.

He remained not out on 24 off 15 balls which contained one boundary and two sixes.

Cliinto was the third man who fell to Qatari bowlers and it was Rathod who pick him up, and on the way claiming all the three wickets to fall in the Kuwait innings.

In the end, Kuwait won by 7 wickets with 26 balls remaining.

Earlier, Qatar who were out into bat by Kuwait and how handed international debut to Mohammad Ahnaff got off to a worst start with Saqlain Arshad going back to the pavilion without troubling the scorers in the first ball of the match.

Adnan Mirza departed for his personal score of ten and the team total of 19.

With the loss of two quick wickets, Qatar team management pushed veteran Muhammad Tanveer up the order and he stabilized the innings and also unleashed his trademark down the park hits to contribute 21 in 28 balls with one six and one boundary.

At the other end Imal Liyanage held forte with a 49-ball 46 while Jassim Khan, watched by his parents, used the long handle to good effect to remain not out on 31 of 26 balls which included one four and two sixes.

In the end Qatar managed to score 123 for 6 in 20 0vers.

Ilyas Ahmed turned out to be the most successful bowler claiming two wickets for while Yasin Patel, Mohammed Aslam and Sayed Monib claimed one wicket apiece.

On Friday, Kuwait clash with the Maldives in the first match at 9.00am followed by Qatar vs Saudi Arabia

2:00 PM which is palye3d on double leg round robin system.

Four countries, which also include Maldives and Saudi Arabia are vying for the one qualification spot from Qatar which are taking place in Qatar’s capital Doha from September 28 to October 5^th and form part of the qualification process for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup

 

The qualifier from Qatar will join will join hosts Nepal, Oman, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and Malaysia at the Asia Regional final which takes place from October 30 to November 5 in Nepal

 

 

#Qatar, #qatarnews, #qatarsportsnews, #cricket, #t20, #cricketnews, #cricketer, #cricketlife, #cricketlover, #cricketlovers, #doha, #Kuwait, #SaudiArabia, #QatarCricketAssociation, #maldives,

#SaudiArabianCricketFederation,

#KuwaitCricketOfficial

 

 

Second studio of innovative fitness concept opened in Qatar

 The ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the State of Qatar, H.E. Mr. Ferdinand Lahnstein, recently inaugurated the second fit20 studio in Qatar. fit20 is changing lives and improving health across the world due to its research-based innovative approach, and promises to produce positive changes to your strength, fitness and wellbeing with just one weekly 20 minute session.

Centrally located at Tower 121 the Pearl, fit20 is an innovative approach to fitness as it provides busy individuals with a unique workout. The workouts are held under the expert guidance of personal trainers, and consist of slow and controlled high intensity training. Furthermore, the fitness sessions are held in a precision cooled studio. The carefully regulated temperature allows health conscious individuals to work out without perspiring, leading to a more comfortable fitness experience.

The Ambassador H.E. Mr. Ferdinand Lahnstein said: “I am proud that the Dutch fitness franchise opened its second studio in Qatar and I am happy that fit20 actively contributes to healthy lifestyles and to Qatar being the regional sports hub. Such initiative supports achieving a healthy population, one of the main objectives of the Human Development pillar in Qatar National Vision 2030. It’s so great to be active and feel fit! Sports brings people, cultures and countries together.”

Mr. Walter Vendel, founder and CEO of fit20 worldwide, said: “The new studio looks fantastic and we’d like to wish the whole fit20 team the very best in the new studio.”Founded in the Netherlands in 2009, fit20 has witnessed remarkable growth worldwide. For more information, visit www.fit20.qa today.

Peace Beyond the Pitch: Prevention of Violent Extremism through

 

Sports

Online, 28 September 2023

08:00 AM New York Time; 14:00 PM Madrid Time; 21:00 PM Tokyo Time

Concept Note

Background and rationale

In 1981 the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) established 21st September as the International Day

of Peace to commemorate a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace. In 2011 the UNGA voted

unanimously for this date to be a period of non-violence and cease-fire. Each year, on the International

Day of Peace, a different theme and planned series of events is celebrated accordingly.

Sports go beyond borders defined by nations, cultures, socioeconomic statuses, and politics. They serve

as a means of social cohesion, bridging gaps, and as a tool to tackle a wide array of societal and economic

issues. This contribution extends to supporting the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals

(SDGs). The Sustainable Development Agenda for 2030 recognizes the “growing contribution of sport and

culture to the realization of development and peace in the promotion of tolerance and respect as well as

the empowerment of youth and women, individuals and communities.”

Throughout history, sports have held a pivotal role in spreading positive ideals universally, transcending

civilizations and cultural differences. This characteristic positions sports as a potent medium for fostering

initiatives aimed at cultivating peace and preventing and countering instances of violent extremism.

Notably, the younger generation has taken the lead in nurturing ongoing dialogues concerning

peacebuilding and progress within societies.

To Commemorate the International Day of Peace, on 28 September the Global Sports Programme will

hold a 90–min online discussion on Peace Beyond the Pitch: Prevention of Violent Extremism through

Sports, aimed at emphasizing the power of sport as a tool to prevent violent extremism (PVE)so to directly

pursue the SDGs.

The Global Programme on the Security of Major Sporting Events, and Promotion of Sport and Its Values as

a Tool to Prevent Violent Extremism (Global Sports Programme) is led by the United Nations Office of

Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), through its Programme Office in Madrid, in partnership with the UN

Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and

the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS), and in close consultation with the UN Counter-Terrorism

Committee Executive Directorate (CTED). The Global Sports Programme’s key objectives are to a) assist

Member States in protecting vulnerable targets in the context of Major Sporting Events, and b) leverage

the power of sports and its values to strengthen social cohesion and build resilience to violent extremism.

The Global Sports Programme serves as a platform for thousands of experts, policymakers, and

practitioners including 244 National Focal Points (NFPs) nominated by 118 Member States for substantive

engagement vis-a-vis programmatic activities, and sport federations, associations, athletes and civil

society organizations to share knowledge and perspectives benefitting all.

Existing international frameworks and initiatives

The UN Security Council, in its resolution 2419 (2018), recognizes the growing contribution of sport and

culture to the realization of development and peace in its promotion of tolerance and respect and

contributions it makes to the empowerment of youth and women, individuals, and communities. Several

UN agencies and specialized bodies have placed significant efforts and initiatives to leverage on sports for

the advancement of peace and development.

The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) Inter-Agency Group on Sport for

Development and Peace (IAGSDP) strives to advance the role of sport as a tool for development, including

through the implementation of the UN Action Plan on Sport for Development and Peace, promotes

effective collaboration between organizations at the national and regional levels, including the exchange

of best practices, and encourages the inclusion of sport in pertinent intergovernmental processes. This is

done in part by implementing the UN Action Plan on Sport for Development and Peace.

On its part, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) provides

Member States with assistance, counsel, and guidance, in order to create or enhance their sports policies.

Furthermore, the Youth Crime Prevention through Sport initiative of the United Nations Office on Drugs

and Crime (UNODC) promotes sports to deter crime and aid in the development of resilience in vulnerable

kids. The initiative's objective includes enhancing young people's life skills to lower risk factors for crime,

violence, and drug use through positively impacting the behavior of at-risk adolescents. A cooperative

effort to "Strengthen Youth Resilience through Sport: Using sport to promote positive youth development

and social change to prevent crime, violence, and drug use” has also been ongoing with the International

Olympic Committee (IOC) since 2022, as part of the Youth Crime Prevention through Sport initiative.

The 8th

review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy A/RES/77/298, encourages

Member States, United Nations entities, regional and subregional organizations and relevant actors to

consider instituting mechanisms to involve youth in the promotion of a culture of peace, tolerance and

intercultural and interreligious dialogue and develop, as appropriate, an understanding of respect for

human dignity, pluralism and diversity, including, as appropriate, through education programmes, as well

as sports and physical activities, that could prevent and discourage their participation in acts of terrorism,

violent extremism conducive to terrorism, violence, xenophobia and all forms of discrimination.

Following UNOCT’s mandate, the Global Sports Programme provides direct support to Member States as

well as issued a “Guide for Policymakers for The Use of Sport for the Prevention of Violent Extremism” and

a Handbook for “Preventing Violent Extremism through Major Sporting Events” to leverage the full

potential of the use of sport and its values for PVE goals. Furthermore, the Programme’s highly successful

global media campaign “#MoreThanAGame” was launched in partnership with the Generation Amazing

Foundation highlighting inspiring stories of youth, alongside professional footballer Nadia Nadim, to

promote the power of sport to make real, positive change.

Objectives

• Recognize new actions and good practices that use sports for peace and as a tool to PVE

• Facilitate, through the Connect and Learn Platform, a permanent forum of discussion and

knowledge sharing at the local, national, regional, and international levels

AFC Member Associations & Regional Associations Presidents' and General Secretaries' Conference 2023 set to kick off

 AFC Member Associations & Regional Associations Presidents' and General Secretaries' Conference 2023 set to kick off

 

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will conduct the inaugural AFC Member Associations (MAs) & Regional Associations (RAs) Presidents’ and General Secretaries’ Conference 2023, from October 7 to 8 in Uzbekistan’s capital city, Tashkent.

With the preceding editions of the event exclusively attended by the General Secretaries of the AFC’s Members, the upcoming assembly will see the Presidents of the respective MAs and RAs participating for the first time, thereby marking a significant milestone in the collaborative efforts of the AFC and its MAs and RAs.

The two-day Conference will see key leaders, experts and spokespersons present, discuss and exchange ideas and insights to drive Continental football forward.

The Conference will set the stage for the leaders of Asian football to engage in meaningful dialogue and facilitate knowledge exchange, which will ultimately lead to stronger MAs and RAs and a more dynamic Asian football family.

Hosted by the Uzbekistan Football Association, the event is expected to enable the AFC to address challenges that are unique to each MA and RA by providing them with resources and tailor-made solutions that ensure they can reach their full potential.

With the maximisation of the potential of its MAs and RAs and the enhancement of their capabilities lying at the very heart of the Confederation’s Vision and Mission, the primary aim of the Conference will be to ensure that all Member and Regional Associations are given the opportunity to benefit from the resources and expertise that are provided by the AFC.

Besides hearing from some of the world’s most renowned speakers, the Conference will also bring the attendees up to speed about the latest initiatives and programmes of the AFC which have been established for the MAs and RAs to strengthen their foundations

Thailand recommended as host for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup™ 2024

  

The Football Association of Thailand (FA Thailand) has been selected as the Host Association of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup™ 2024 by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Futsal & Beach Soccer Committee for the 2023 to 2027 term at its first meeting held virtually today.

After carefully reviewing the Bidding Process and Evaluation, the Committee, led by Chairperson Mehdi Taj, recommended FA Thailand as the host of the 17^th edition of the competition for its stellar track record and ability to meet the best possible hosting conditions ahead of other commendable bids.

Scheduled to be held from April 17 to 28, the decision will see the Southeast Asian nation equal Uzbekistan’s record of staging the Continental showpiece on three occasions, having previously hosted the 2000 and 2008 editions.

As many as 31 contenders are expected to battle for the 15 spots to join Thailand ahead of next year’s Finals in the qualification campaign to be held across eight centralised venues from October 7 to 11, 2023.

Additionally, following a request from the Japan Football Association, the Committee also agreed to recognise the Japan Football Association Futsal “A” Licence Course to be of equal standing in qualification to that of the AFC Futsal Coaching Certificate Level 3 Course.

The Committee was also updated on the latest developments in Futsal Club Licensing, the various AFC Futsal & Beach Soccer coaching and match official courses and assessment visits, as well as the online meetings conducted for the development of Member Associations (MAs) since the last meeting.

Members of the Committee were also pleased to acknowledge the success of the recently concluded AFC Futsal Train the Trainers Coaching Instructors Selection Course, which benefitted over 20 MAs with the aim of increasing the talent pool of futsal instructors in Asia and unlocking the potential of emerging Futsal countries and territories.

All decisions of the AFC Futsal & Beach Soccer Committee need to be ratified by the AFC Executive Committee to take effect.

Saudi Arabian FF and FFIRI matches to be played home-and-away

 Saudi Arabian FF and FFIRI matches to be played home-and-away

 

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is pleased to confirm that all matches between the national teams and clubs of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) will take place on a home-and-away basis.
 
The positive development follows a groundbreaking agreement between the SAFF and FFIRI today, which has been duly communicated to the AFC.
 
Prior to today’s agreement between the two AFC Member Associations, all matches between the SAFF and FFIRI at the national and club levels were mandated to be played in neutral venues in accordance with the 2016 decision of the AFC Competitions Committee and AFC Executive Committee.
 
The AFC welcomes the historic move as it reflects the commitment of both the SAFF and FFIRI towards fostering closer ties between their respective footballing communities, allowing clubs to host matches on their home turf and visiting the respective away stadiums, creating a more engaging and exciting experience for the fans and players alike.
 
Passionate fans across Saudi Arabia, IR Iran and the whole of Asia can now look forward to a thrilling new chapter in club and national team football as teams from SAFF and FFIRI battle in the spirit of competition and camaraderie.

With the home-and-away matches of the AFC Champions League 2023/24 season between clubs of the SAFF and FFIRI set to kick off on September 19, the AFC is fully committed to ensuring the safety and security of all stakeholders involved in these matches, while securing the necessary approvals of the relevant AFC committees.

Asia’s best women’s teams poised for AFC Women’s Club Championship™ return

 

 

The stage will be set for the return of Asia’s premier women's football club competition when eight club champions from as many Member Associations (MAs) discover their battle lines at the official draw ceremony of the AFC Women’s Club Championship™ 2023 - Invitational Tournament on Thursday. 

Taking place from November 6 to 12, the tournament will give way to the AFC Women’s Champions League from the 2024/25 season. 

The eight participants, three more than the previous edition, will be divided into two groups of four teams who will play in centralised venues in Uzbekistan and Thailand. 

The seeding is based on the latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking of their respective MAs, and following the Nadeshiko’s commendable performance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, WE League champions Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies of Japan will be the top seed, securing a spot in Pot 1. 

With Australia’s Semi-final finish at the FIFA Women’s World Cup earning them the second seed, A-League Women champions Sydney FC, will join the Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies in Pot 1. 

Meanwhile, Pot 2 will host third seeds and defending champions of Korea Republic’s WK League, the Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC, as well as five-time Chinese Taipei women’s league winners Hualien Women’s Football Team, who are seeded fourth in the competition. 

Pot 3, on the other hand, will host the fifth and sixth seeded teams, namely Thailand’s Bangkok FC, who clinched their maiden Thai Women’s League title in 2023, and defending champions of the Uzbekistan Women's League, FC Nasaf, earlier known as Sevinch Qarshi. 

Finally, Pot 4 will feature the current national champions from India, Sree Gokulam Kerala Football Club, and runners-up of the AFC Women’s Club Championship 2022 (West) and Kowsar Women Football League winners, Bam Khatoon from the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

A one-round league format will see the four teams play against each other in the two groups, following which the group winners clash in the grand finale to determine the best women's club side in Asia.

Pots

Pot 1 (teams ranked 1-2): Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies, Sydney FC
Pot 2 (3-4): Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC, Hualien Women’s Football Team
Pot 3 (5-6): Bangkok FC, FC Nasaf
Pot 4 (7-8): Sree Gokulam Kerala Football Club, Bam Khatoon


Click here to watch the official draw ceremony of the AFC Women’s Club Championship 2023 Invitational Tournament. 

All set for thrilling #AFCU23 Qatar 2024 qualifying battle

 All set for thrilling #AFCU23 Qatar 2024 qualifying battle

The quest to reach the AFC U23 Asian Cup™ Qatar 2024 begins for 42 teams next week as they aim to join the hosts at the tournament proper next year.

Over the course of a three-matchday week between September 6 to 12, 11 groups – nine of four and two of three – in the Qualifiers will each be played at a centralised venue in a single round-robin format.

All the group winners, together with the four best second-placed teams overall, will form the final cast of 16 alongside automatically-qualified hosts Qatar at the sixth edition of the competition, set to be played between April 15 to May 3, 2024.

Eight teams – Australia, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan – have been present at every edition to date, while 19 sides are seeking a maiden appearance in 2024.

The Qualifiers will get underway on the southeastern coast of the Korea Republic, where the Changwon Football Center hosts Group B. Myanmar, whose sole qualification came at the inaugural edition in 2013 when it was known as the AFC Under-22 Championship, take on the Kyrgyz Republic at 4pm local time, with the latter having never qualified.

The home side – champions in 2020 when it was known as the AFC U23 Championship for the last time – then welcome Qatar at 8pm. Qatar are set to be the first Member Association to host the AFC U23 Asian Cup™ twice and all their fixtures will be considered as friendly matches, not to be taken into account when calculating the final group rankings.

India and the Maldives, both looking to make it through the Qualifiers for the first time, are next up as the first pair of Group G sides in action at 4:30pm at the Dalian Sports Center Stadium. Hosts China PR, seeking a fifth qualification, then swing into action at 7:35pm against three-time Quarter-finalists United Arab Emirates at the Dalian Suoyuwan Stadium.

Seeking a first ever qualification, Singapore make the short trip to Vietnam for their Group C campaign and face Yemen – who appeared in the first two editions – at 4pm in their opener at the Viet Tri Stadium. Following that, Vietnam take to the pitch at the same venue at 7pm to face Guam, who will participate in the Qualifiers for the first time.

In neighbouring Thailand, Group H will commence at 4:30pm when Malaysia – looking for a second straight qualification – take on Bangladesh at the Chonburi Stadium. The hosts, whose best finish was reaching the Quarter-finals in 2020, then entertain the Philippines – seeking their first qualification – at the same venue at 8:30pm.

Uzbekistan – champions in 2018 and runners-up at the most recent edition in 2022 – will host the Qualifiers for a third time as they stage Group E in Tashkent. The Islamic Republic of Iran, who missed out on qualifying last time out on goal difference, face a Hong Kong, China side that has never qualified in the first match at 5pm at Lokomotiv Stadium. The Uzbeks then start their campaign at 7pm against Afghanistan at the JAR Stadium.

The trio of Turkmenistan, Indonesia and Chinese Taipei will do battle in Group K, where the latter two teams are hunting qualification for the first time. Turkmenistan, whose debut appearance in 2022 saw them reach the Quarter-finals, square off against Chinese Taipei at 7pm at the Manahan Stadium in Surakarta. Hosts Indonesia then begin their journey three days later on September 9 at 7pm against Chinese Taipei at the same venue.

Following the withdrawal of DPR Korea, Group I is the second group with three teams and will take place in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe. Australia, who placed third in 2020 and fourth in 2022, duel with a Laos side that has never qualified, at 8:30pm at the Republican Central Stadium. The latter will be back in action three days later against Tajikistan, whose maiden tournament qualification also came in 2022, at 8:30pm.

Defending champions Saudi Arabia, whose historic triumph in June last year made them the fifth different winner in as many editions, will host Group J as they welcome three opponents that are all aiming to make history by qualifying for the first time: Cambodia, Lebanon and Mongolia. All the matches will be played at the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Sports City in Abha, with Cambodia and Lebanon going first at 4pm before the Saudis spar with Mongolia at 7pm.

Quarter-finalists in 2013 and 2020, Syria will open Group A against Oman, who are looking for a return after missing out on the last two Finals, with kick-off set for 5:30pm at the Prince Mohammad Stadium in Zarqa City. Later that evening, hosts Jordan embark on their path against a Brunei Darussalam aiming for first-time qualification at 9pm.

Inaugural winners in 2013, Iraq – one of two teams to have never lost across five editions of Qualifiers alongside Korea Republic – are scheduled to play a Macau side that has never qualified at 6pm at the Kuwait Sports Club Stadium in Kuwait City in Group F. Hosts Kuwait bowed out in the Group Stage in their two appearances to date (2013 and 2022) and will hope to surpass that, but first have to overcome Timor-Leste in their opening qualifier at 8pm at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium.

In Group D, Bahrain – hosting the Qualifiers for a third consecutive occasion – are looking to qualify for only the second time and start by battling Palestine, who reached the last eight on their debut in 2018, at 6:30pm at the Sheikh Ali Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Stadium in Arad. Subsequently, 2016 champions Japan face Pakistan – hoping third time is the charm after unsuccessful attempts in 2013 and 2016 – at 9:30pm at the same venue.

ASPIRE ACADEMY WELCOMES 60 NEW STUDENT-ATHLETES FOR THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR

 

ASPIRE ACADEMY WELCOMES 60 NEW STUDENT-ATHLETES FOR THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR

Doha

Tuesday 05 September 2023

A total of 60 new student-athletes have joined Aspire Academy at the start of

the 2023-24 academic year which officially began on Sunday 3 September.

The new intake is set to train in seven different sports, with padel the latest

sport adopted by the Academy with a total of six student-athletes joining

various grades for the new year.

Grade 7 welcomes 35 newcomers, with 11 joining Grade 8, there are 4

additions to Grade 9 and a further 5 each in Grades 10 and 11.

As well as the six padel players there are 27 footballers, 5 referees, 14 in

athletics, 3 squash players, 4 swimmers and one table tennis player.

The new academic year is the first since 2020 that will be free of all Covid-19

restrictions something that Aspire Academy’s school principal Jassem Al

Jaber is looking forward to.

“Let me congratulate all of the students for the new coming year, welcome the

newcomers and congratulate the parents,” the principal said as the student-

athletes returned to school.

“We have had a period of several years when we haven’t been able to be at

occupation or carry out all our activities due to Covid-19.

“Now with this academic year, we will be back to normal at school and have

the two daily training sessions. We are looking forward to the student-athletes

being fully active and full of all the energy that we feel here at the Academy.”

The principal added that now the school has been re-accredited by the

Council of International Schools (CIS) the staff will continue to meet those

standards and improve on them.

“Working with students means you need to always be thinking about how you

can develop them, how you can make them feel safe,” he explained.

“The aim is for them to progress in their sport and with their academics, that's

why you need to work daily work with them.”

“Our accreditation (with CIS) comes with standards that we had to meet and

those are standards you need to continue to deliver.”

“We must not only maintain expectations but also raise them as we strive to

develop our student-athletes. students more.”

“There are always a lot of challenges, but also you will find lots of fun when

you work with them as you find solutions to develop them and their skills.”

One of the student-athletes returning for his final year after a summer holiday

packed with competitions and travelling is pole vaulter Seif Hemeida.

Hemeida’s holidays saw him win gold medals at the Asian Under-20 Athletics

Championships, the Arab Athletics Championships and the Arab Games as

well as competing at the Asian Champions.

The 18-year-old also raised his own Qatar record three times from 5.35m,

which he set in February, to 5.40m to 5.50m and eventually to 5.51m.

Despite the busy schedule in recent weeks, he is confident that he will easily

be able to get back into the routine of being back at school as he continues to

balance his academic education with his athletics training.

“It's very easy to manage it (education and training) because Aspire

Academy, do everything for you and they make your routine very easy to

follow,” he explained.

“They help you to manage your day so we start the day in the school at 7am

and then finish around 6.30pm, so we have very little time to think about

anything else.”

Hemeida is aware of the importance of the academic side of his time at Aspire

Academy.

“Aspire Academy has already taught me a lot of things, for example when I

arrived my English was very bad and Aspire has helped me a lot in that area,”

he explained.

“Maths is my favourite subject at school and I am thinking about studying

business after I graduate from Aspire.”

In athletics Hemeida’s next big challenge will be competing for Qatar at the

Asian Games in China, which begin on 23 September.

Aspire Academy honoured its class of 2023 at a graduation ceremony on

Tuesday evening as the academic year drew to a close.

A record total of 54 student-athletes became the 16th set of graduates from

Aspire Academy.

The ceremony took place at the iconic Aspire dome with His Excellency

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, the Honorary President of the

Qatar Football Association, as the guest of honour.

Other invitees included representatives from different sports federations as

well as from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

Tariq Abdulaziz Al-Naama the Vice President -of the Aspire Zone Foundation,

Dr. Abdulaziz Al Kuwari the CEO of Aspetar also attended along with other

dignitaries, teachers, coaching staff as well as the parents and friends of the

student-athletes.

After a recital from the Quran by graduate Younis Mohamed Bala the

Academy’s Deputy Director General Ali Salem Afifa spoke on behalf of the

Director General.

Mr. Afifa stressed the pivotal role that Aspire has played in the development of

sport in Qatar since the Academy opened its doors.

"Since our opening in 2004, the Academy can boast many achievements and

has provided a lot of talent and stars to national teams in the various sports

that the Academy has in its program,” he said.

“We can achieve even more and enjoy further success in various sports with

the possibility of adding other sports to those we currently offer."

“As important are those graduates who have distinguished themselves

academically and educationally and have risen in various fields of work such

as medicine, aviation, engineering and others.”

Aspire Academy Director of Education and Student Affairs, Badr Al-Hay

thanked the guest of honour for his support over the years and hailed the

sports federations for their part in developing the student-athletes.

He also highlighted the balance that the Academy achieves between

academic and sporting development.

“Over the years we have developed a curriculum that works for our student-

athletes, we have worked to understand and implement measures so they can

thrive in the classroom and the sporting arena,” he explained.

“We also prepare them for life after the Academy and things like our

Leadership Development Programme will help them deal with problems in all

aspects of their lives and put them in a position to help others too.”

“While we wanted to be recognised as a world-class sports academy, we

were also determined that the academic side of Aspire was also recognised

and endorsed internationally.”

“Our recent re-accreditation by the Council for International Schools proves

that we are fulfilling our goal.”

“Please never forget that you will always be welcome back at Aspire

Academy, please keep in touch and let us share in your successes. We are

also here if you need support in the future.”

Footballer Saeed Jabir Afifa spoke on behalf of the graduating student-

athletes as he offered their gratitude to everyone involved in their time at

Aspire Academy.

“We will always refer to the hard work done here at Aspire Academy that has

inspired, guided and prepared us for the future,” he said.

“We are ready for the future. We must also remember that this is just the start

and there is a lot of hard work ahead of us if we are to fulfil our dreams.”

“Aspire will always be our second home and we will keep in touch. We must

also thank our nation for giving us this opportunity to represent them and we

are grateful for all your support.:

This year the Academy is celebrating graduates across nine sports disciplines

– football (23) football referees (2), athletics (18), table tennis (3), squash (2),

fencing (1), swimming (2), shooting (2) and motorsport (1).

This year’s graduates brings the total of student-athletes to have graduated

from Aspire Academy since it launched in 2004 to 594.

These graduates can now look forward to furthering their sporting and

academic careers and follow in the footsteps of Aspire Academy’s list of

illustrious alumni.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Japan placed in same group for U16 Asian Basketball Championship in Doha

 The Asian Basketball Confederation has announced the groupings of the sixteen teams participating in the seventh edition of the U16 Asian Basketball Championship taking place in Doha from September 17 to 24.

The Championship serves as a qualification platform for next year’s U17 World Cup to be held in Turkiye and teams have been divided into four groups (A, B, C, and D) of four teams per group. Qatar national basketball team have been placed in Group B, alongside Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Japan.

The seventh edition of the championship will witness the participation of 16 teams, namely: Qatar (the host), Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, New Zealand, Iran, Malaysia, South Korea, Kazakhstan, China, Japan, the Philippines, Australia, India, and Sri Lanka.

The organizing committee of the tournament has revealed that the matches of the seventh edition will be held in Al-Gharrafa and Al-Rayyan halls. The committee has also issued the schedule of matches, where the Qatari team will face its brother Saudi Arabia in the opening match on September 17 at 7:30 in the evening. Al-Annabi will play the second match against Japan on September 18 at 7:00 in the evening and will conclude its matches in the group stage on September 19 with a meeting with Iran at five in the evening. The Qatari team will play all three matches in the Al-Gharafa Club hall.

The tournament will be opened by a meeting between Australia and India at 11:30 am in the Al-Gharafa Club Hall for the matches of Group A, which includes Sri Lanka and Lebanon alongside them.

Malaysia hosted the first edition of the Asian Championship in 2009, followed by the second edition in Vietnam in 2011, and the third edition in Iran in 2013. These three editions were titled by the Chinese national team. South Korea won the title of the fourth edition in 2015 in Indonesia, and Australia won the title of the fifth edition, which China hosted in 2017. The tournament was interrupted for about 5 years due to the Corona virus pandemic before Qatar hosted the sixth edition in the summer of last year, during which Australia retained the title for the second time in a row.

Our national under-16 basketball team won the Gulf Basketball Championship - Gulf Region, which was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last month, accompanied by the teams of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. In the Asian Championship, the team will have the opportunity to qualify for the World Championship.