ASPIRE, the Qatar Academy for Sports Excellence, now has two former world champion table tennis players on its coaching staff, as it continues to raise the standard of the sport in the Arab world.
Table tennis legends Jorgen Persson and Stellan Bengtsson from Sweden will provide coaching and support at the Academy.
Persson is one of the highest profile figures in international table tennis: World Singles Champion, World Team Champion, five World Champion Titles in total and amongst others nine European Titles.
Bengtsson, three times World Champion and with 24 medals in World and European Championships, acted as coach and mentor for Persson as he scaled the heights of international table tennis competition.
Table tennis is one of the world’s fastest-growing sports and a small but increasing number of athletes from the Middle East are looking to compete in international competition.
The sport is one of the key development areas for ASPIRE, which has 13 professional standard table tennis tables, and it is hoped that with close involvement from Persson and Bengtsson ,the student-athletes will raise the profile of table tennis across the region.
Working together the new coaches are developing the young student-athletes at ASPIRE, so they can continue to carry the torch of sporting excellence. In particular, they look to provide a scientific approach for the players that will help them to understand the complexities of what is a challenging and highly competitive sport.
Jorgen Persson said: “I am thrilled and delighted to join ASPIRE. The Academy’s table tennis facilities are outstanding and will allow personalized one to one coaching for each student-athlete.”
Stellan Bengtsson added: “Success in table-tennis requires practice, concentration and discipline – this can only come with time. ASPIRE offers an unmatched environment to enable student-athletes to develop their abilities to the highest level.”
Furthermore Dr. Andreas Bleicher, ASPIRE’s Sports Manager stressed the excellent co-operation with the Qatar Table Tennis Association: “We are really delighted with the co-operation with the QTTA in particular with the President, Mr. Khaleel Al Mohannadi and the Technical Advisor Mr. Zlatko Cordas, but also with the other members of the Association, which enables us to work under perfect conditions and aspire to the highest goals in table tennis. We already benefit from close co-operation with the International Table Tennis Federation and this is essential for future success.”
About ASPIRE
ASPIRE, the Qatar based Academy for Sporting Excellence, provides exceptional facilities which include full educational and recreational facilities, advanced dormitories, an amphitheatre, lecture halls, seven outdoor football training fields, and state-of-the-art weight training and physiotherapy. The Academy is centred on a philosophy which aims to comprehensively develop the student in preparation for the future, providing them with both a full academic and a sporting background. ASPIRE TODAY, INSPIRE TOMORROW
