Edson Arantes do Nascimento = Pele
Brazilian football legend Pele – a member of three World Cup winning sides – yesterday showered praise on Qatar for initiating programmes that will help evolve a sport culture within the country.
Pele said this on his visit to the Aspire Academy – the world’s largest indoor facility located here in the heart of the Qatari capital.
The Doha-based academy launched an ambitious programme - Aspire Africa Football Dreams - that will provide talented African students from seven nations a chance to study and train in one of the most advanced sports academies anywhere in the world.
“Investment in sports and talent development are vital for the health of world sport. Qatar has made a very important contribution by developing this programme. Qatar has to be praised for this new programme,” Pele, who scored 77 goals in his 92 appearances for Brazil, said at the launch of the new Aspire Academy programme.
Pele, looking enthusiastic as ever for a 66-year-old, previously visited Qatar when the Aspire Academy was officially launched in November 2005. “Aspire has grown significantly since my first visit here in 2005 and it is very exciting to see that it (Aspire) continues to develop through innovative programmes like Aspire Africa. It is a novel programme that can produce players for the top football clubs in Qatar, Africa or even Europe,” Pele explained.
The Aspire Academy's new quest will visit seven nations – Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa, the hosts of the 2010 Fifa World Cup finals.
The ‘Aspire Africa. Football Dreams’ programme, which starts at the end of May, will screen some 500,000 boys born in 1994 in the seven countries. Some 6,000 staff members will be employed for the screening process.
In the first phase, the best 50 players from each country, identified in the selection process, will go for a week of trials in the capital city of their respective nations.
The top three boys from each country will then come to the Aspire Academy for trials and testing periods to be run over four weeks.
This will be followed by a period of assessment and discussions with the families. The most talented boys will then be enrolled in the Aspire Academy.
Each successful player will receive full benefits and opportunities available to an Aspire Student. They will live within the Academy.
Dr. Andreas Bleicher, Sports Director at Aspire said: “This is an incredible opportunity for talented young African boys to reach the heights of international football in the future, as well as for Aspire’s football players to be inspired in their daily training programme by outstanding international talents. This is a huge boost especially for the Qatari football talents as well. “Everyone in football is aware of the significant talent that exists in Africa, and also of the challenges that can prevent this talent reaching its full potential. Aspire will offer a new window of opportunity for those players who have the talent and dedication necessary to succeed at the highest levels of professional football.”
Through Aspire’s scholarships, opportunities to study at the Academy have already been extended to talented students from countries as diverse as Ghana, Senegal, Comoros and Cameroon. Aspire Africa.
Football Dreams is designed to take this process to the next level, according to Dr Thomas Flock, Director General of Aspire:
“This programme will become a recognised path to development for young African footballers. The youth football programme offered here is among the most advanced in the world, and successful applicants will have the chance to earn a place in the Aspire teams, receiving exposure to the international standards of talent and application we expect at the Academy.”
Pele said this on his visit to the Aspire Academy – the world’s largest indoor facility located here in the heart of the Qatari capital.
The Doha-based academy launched an ambitious programme - Aspire Africa Football Dreams - that will provide talented African students from seven nations a chance to study and train in one of the most advanced sports academies anywhere in the world.
“Investment in sports and talent development are vital for the health of world sport. Qatar has made a very important contribution by developing this programme. Qatar has to be praised for this new programme,” Pele, who scored 77 goals in his 92 appearances for Brazil, said at the launch of the new Aspire Academy programme.
Pele, looking enthusiastic as ever for a 66-year-old, previously visited Qatar when the Aspire Academy was officially launched in November 2005. “Aspire has grown significantly since my first visit here in 2005 and it is very exciting to see that it (Aspire) continues to develop through innovative programmes like Aspire Africa. It is a novel programme that can produce players for the top football clubs in Qatar, Africa or even Europe,” Pele explained.
The Aspire Academy's new quest will visit seven nations – Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa, the hosts of the 2010 Fifa World Cup finals.
The ‘Aspire Africa. Football Dreams’ programme, which starts at the end of May, will screen some 500,000 boys born in 1994 in the seven countries. Some 6,000 staff members will be employed for the screening process.
In the first phase, the best 50 players from each country, identified in the selection process, will go for a week of trials in the capital city of their respective nations.
The top three boys from each country will then come to the Aspire Academy for trials and testing periods to be run over four weeks.
This will be followed by a period of assessment and discussions with the families. The most talented boys will then be enrolled in the Aspire Academy.
Each successful player will receive full benefits and opportunities available to an Aspire Student. They will live within the Academy.
Dr. Andreas Bleicher, Sports Director at Aspire said: “This is an incredible opportunity for talented young African boys to reach the heights of international football in the future, as well as for Aspire’s football players to be inspired in their daily training programme by outstanding international talents. This is a huge boost especially for the Qatari football talents as well. “Everyone in football is aware of the significant talent that exists in Africa, and also of the challenges that can prevent this talent reaching its full potential. Aspire will offer a new window of opportunity for those players who have the talent and dedication necessary to succeed at the highest levels of professional football.”
Through Aspire’s scholarships, opportunities to study at the Academy have already been extended to talented students from countries as diverse as Ghana, Senegal, Comoros and Cameroon. Aspire Africa.
Football Dreams is designed to take this process to the next level, according to Dr Thomas Flock, Director General of Aspire:
“This programme will become a recognised path to development for young African footballers. The youth football programme offered here is among the most advanced in the world, and successful applicants will have the chance to earn a place in the Aspire teams, receiving exposure to the international standards of talent and application we expect at the Academy.”
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