Aspire in the World Fellows Book - 2022

9 8 Qatar is a vibrant place which has seen a huge transformation in recent years as the nation prepared to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It was the first time that the tournament has been held in the Middle East and brought the world together in Qatar providing the visitors an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the unique local and regional Arab culture. The FIFA World Cup was just the latest major sporting event that Qatar has successfully hosted over the years following the 2006 Asian Games, the 2011 AFC Asian Cup and the 2015 Men’s World Handball Championships, as well as the 2019 IAAF world championships amongst others. The 8th edition of the Aspire Academy Global Summit was held in Doha for the second time and once again hosted in the academy’s Football Performance Centre (FPC). This was the first time delegates were able to attend the summit in person since 2019, with the previous two editions being held virtually due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. Introduction to Doha The FPC is not only the home of Aspire Academy’s student-athletes but also the Qatar Football Association’s technical staff. It is equipped with cutting edge technology to provide elite athletes with the optimal training environment. To ensure all of Qatar’s national teams can fulfil their protentional the FPC is focussed on the players with sports scientists analysing them on the pitch in order to identify how best to help them develop. The 2022 Global Summit, on addition to its members, 50 best Clubs/Federations around the world, also included representatives fromall 32 teams who had qualified for the World Cup, was held in collaboration with FIFA and gave the delegates the chance to see first-hand some of Qatar’s preparations to host the tournament. Those preparations included the academy itself which was the training base for three teams during the finals and the eight state-of-the-art stadia that hosted matches. Those in attendance also got a taste of the Qatari hospitality that the fans would later enjoy throughout the FIFA World Cup.