Qatari students enjoyed the full hospitality and excellent facilities at the Singapore Sports School during a trip this week to the Far East to help their sporting and academic development.
The Singapore Sports School hosted the delegation of staff and students from ASPIRE, Qatar’s Academy for Sports Excellence, as part of an on-going exchange programme developed between the two centres of excellence.
The Singapore Sports School, a specialised independent academy providing a conducive academic and training environment for the country’s most talented young athletes, welcomed more than 60 students and 50 members of ASPIRE’s staff over a three-week period.
As well as participating in training sessions, coaching and lectures, the delegation had the opportunity to soak in the sights and sounds on offer in the bustling city. These included visits to Sentosa Island, Jurong Bird Park and a local mosque as well as shopping in Orchard Road and the 24-hour Mustafa Centre.
“Aspire needed an ideal venue for their students to train while Doha prepares for this year’s Asian Games and Singapore Sports School was a perfect choice given our similar educational and sports training systems and the close relationship that both schools enjoy,” said Ke-Wei Peh, Area Director for the Middle East and Africa, Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
“The exchange is an excellent learning and cultural experience for both sets of students and provides an ideal opportunity for staff to collaborate on projects and research to help in the pursuit of sporting excellence,” he added.
As part of the exchange trip, the ASPIRE delegation, made up of athletes from track and field, squash, shooting, table-tennis and multi-sports groups were also shown the pioneering Sports Science Academy which is the only one of its kind in the country.
At the Academy, sports science disciplines such as biomechanics, physiology, psychology, physiotherapy and nutrition are applied to monitor the growth and development of the student athletes.
Dr Andreas Bleicher, ASPIRE’s sports manager, said: “The Singapore Sports School shares our vision and aspirations and the exchange programme provides an ideal opportunity for us to learn together and pool our expertise. The facilities are first class and the exchange is a good learning and cultural experience for all the students.”
To encourage more schools in Qatar to experience the Singapore Sports School Programme, STB is working with Singapore-based enrichment providers, to partner Qatari travel agents to offer the Singapore Sports School Programme as well as English language programmes.
With visitor arrivals from Qatar to Singapore growing more than 55% in 2005 over the previous year, STB is keen to attract more travellers from Qatar, including young students looking for a different educational experience overseas.
And to help make their stay in Singapore more comfortable, STB has produced a Muslim Visitor’s Guide which features essential information on annual events, cultural districts of Singapore, major shopping areas and vital visitor advice written specifically for Muslim tourists. The guide also includes a list of restaurants certified by MUIS, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, so that visitors can easily find Halal food in a variety of Singaporean, Chinese, Malay, Indian and Middle Eastern eating places when they visit the country.
About Singapore Tourism Board
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is an economic development agency for one of Singapore’s key service sectors – tourism. The mission of the Board is to develop and champion tourism, so as to build the sector into a key driver of economic growth for Singapore. The STB aims to differentiate and market Singapore as a must-visit destination offering enriching experiences through the “Uniquely Singapore” brand. For more information, please visit www.stb.com.sg or visitsingapore.com.
