ASPIRE Ambassador Hicham El Guerrouj Demonstrates Skills on the Track and the Football Field Doha, Qatar In his role as ASPIRE Ambassador, Hicham El Guerrouj continues to make an important contribution to the Academy's mission to identify and develop Qatar's young sporting talent, his standing as an Arab sporting icon acting as a beacon for tomorrow's champions. During his latest visit to the Academy, El Guerrouj added his considerable knowledge and experience to the final adjudication process of ASPIRE'S annual Talent ID programme, now in its final stage of testing. The ‘Gold Phase' sees the most talented and dedicated student athletes from across Qatar, identified through two previous selection processes, compete in a final round of testing for the opportunity to join ASPIRE's unique learning environment. El Guerrouj provided coaching advice to the participants and also worked with coaches to shortlist the selected talents. The talent identification programme evaluates the performance of thousands of Qatari children, recruiting the most gifted boys to a student community that will eventually number 1,000 students in the future. ASPIRE offers every successful child a full scholarship, meaning entry is based solely on athletic potential, mental strength and skill. During his most recent visit El Guerrouj also led a unique fitness exhibition at Al Bidaa Park in Doha, where members of the public were invited to run alongside the two time Olympic Champion as well as gain an insight into the workings of the Academy's exceptional coaching methods, as part of ASPIRE's ongoing campaign to boost involvement in sport and exercise. The “Park Performance” event saw El Guerrouj demonstrate a number of running, warm-up and training exercises, taking a class of students and young athletes through a challenging program, a new initiative from ASPIRE designed to encourage more people to take an interest in the health benefits of outdoor exercise. He also made a rare appearance on a football pitch in a specially arranged match between two of ASPIRE's youth football teams. The two time world athlete of the year turned out for both teams, switching colours at half-time, and showed a considerable talent for the game, even scoring the decisive penalty kick at the end of the match. In his role as an ASPIRE Ambassador, Hicham El Guerrouj works with the Academy to offer guidance for current student athletes as well as supporting wider sports inclusion programmes in the Middle East and beyond. “I'm delighted to be back at ASPIRE,” said El Guerrouj, “which continues to impress me with the ambition and quality in everything I witness. The Academy's commitment to both sporting and academic excellence is something I am both passionate about and very proud to be associated with. The work I see each time I visit Qatar makes me confident the future of sport in the country is in the best possible hands.” El Guerrouj, who holds the world record for the 1,500 meters, the mile and 2,000 meters, is actively involved in projects around the world to promote sporting development, especially for the young. Dr. Thomas Flock, ASPIRE's Director General said : “Our Ambassador Hicham El Guerrouj makes a definitive contribution to our operation, whether by assisting coaching or joining us in a celebration of sport and healthy lifestyles. “Hicham is a true sporting legend ; he showed over his career how a positive attitude can be translated into athletic excellence. His support for ASPIRE's talent identification brings his unique understanding of sport and the personal fortitude it builds in its participants.” El Guerrouj was named “Best Athlete of the Year” by the IAAF in 2001 and 2002, becoming the first man to win consecutive titles since the award was created in 1988. About ASPIRE ASPIRE, the Academy for Sports Excellence, is an elite facility that aims to identify, educate and train talented athletes to compete in professional sports at the highest levels. ASPIRE provides an exceptional learning environment, including full educational and recreational facilities, advanced dormitories, an amphitheatre, lecture halls, seven outdoor football training fields, and state-of-the-art weight rooms and physiotherapy. The Academy is distinguished by a philosophy which aims to develop the whole student, providing them with full academic and sports development so that they have the widest possible range of opportunities in adult life.
