A stellar field saw every one of the top 12 internationally ranked fencers take guard in the ASPIRE Dome over the weekend; though it was little-fancied Jerome Jeannet, the 39th seed from France, whose performance rose to match the breathtaking surroundings as he claimed an unlikely individual title in the Qatar International Fencing Grand Prix of 2007.
In the team event, Ukraine prevailed in a dramatic final over Spain, with Hungary taking the bronze medal.
The successful weekend’s action was overseen by the Qatar Fencing Federation (QFF) and open to the public, with a number of fencing enthusiasts as well as specially invited school parties taking advantage of another world class sporting contest visiting the capital.
Marcel Fischer, who claimed the gold medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004 in the men’s fencing individual epee, was among those competitors awed by the surroundings they found themselves in for the season’s opener.
“ASPIRE is an amazing place for sports,” said the Swiss swordsman, “and I am looking forward to returning here many times in the years to come.”
The tournament, run over three days and the fourth annual event of its kind to be held in Qatar, attracted 131 competitors in total representing 31 countries, marked another step forward in the fast-paced and broad-scoped development of the Academy for Sporting Excellence, now well into its third successful year of operations.
The Academy itself offers a comprehensive learning environment to students selected through a rigorous talent identification process, focusing on supporting every young aspiring athlete in the fields of sporting, academic and social education.
Alongside expert academic and sporting tuition, students at the Academy benefit from the year round use of facilities unparalleled in the region and beyond. And it is these facilities that are inviting an increasing number of top level international sports competitions to visit Doha.
The successful hosting of the 15th Asian Games in December 2006, where no less than eight individual events played out beneath the Dome’s roof, the biggest of it’s kind anywhere in the world, showcased ASPIRE’s readiness for staging such events and this week’s Epee Fencing Grand Prix further cemented a growing reputation as a leading sports venue.
Next month will see the International Table Tennis Federation ProTour Qatar Open (2007 Liebherr Qatar Open) at ASPIRE and many more events are expected in the coming months and years as the Academy contributes to the growth of Doha as the emerging sports capital of the Middle East.
Dr Thomas Flock, Director General of ASPIRE, said: ‘The fencing tournament was a wonderful spectacle and we are happy and proud to host such a prestigious event at the Academy.
“The standard of competition was excellent and we hope not only offers inspiration to our students, but the members of the public and local schoolchildren who were able to attend.”
About ASPIRE
ASPIRE, the Academy for Sports Excellence, Doha, was created with the dual aims of identifying and transforming promising student athletes into world renowned champions across a wide range of sports and to act as a beacon to draw sporting culture into the centre of life in Qatar and the surrounding region.
The Academy is distinguished by a philosophy which aims to develop the whole student, providing them with full academic, social and sporting development.
Unrivalled facilities mark the Academy out as one of the world’s foremost sporting and educational institutions, and entice an ever increasing number of visitors from across the spectrum of world sports to use or simply view them. With one indoor and seven outdoor football pitches, athletics tracks, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, diving pool, combat arenas, gymnastics arena, specially designed weight rooms, lecture halls, dormitories to accommodate what will eventually become 1,000 students, a medical centre and more besides, much beneath the world’s largest purpose built indoor sports dome, every aspect of the development of elite athletes is catered for. ASPIRE is a place for those who dare to dream.
ASPIRE TODAY, INSPIRE TOMORROW
www.aspire.qa
