Doha, 3 January 2021- Aspire Academy held an Endurance Development camp recently in the Sealine area. With the regular sports training camp season severely disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, the Aspire Endurance team came up with a home-made solution and decided to hold its camp at the Sealine Beach Resort.
The camp was for the student-athletes, most of whom were on their first training camp. The camp’s goal was to help build on the momentum gained since the start of the year and help plans for more training camp opportunities to come in 2021.
Aspire Academy Endurance lead coach, David McCarthy, and fellow Aspire coaching staff Mathew Cullen (Team Culture Support) and Ahmad Jaad (Aspire Resident Educator and graduate) said the camp was successful.
“The venue and environment turned out to be ideal and fit for purpose for the goals we had in mind as a coaching staff. We managed to get important background information on this training camp that helps develop student-athletes from a holistic perspective. In this time of the coronavirus, it has been difficult to travel abroad for training camp, and we thought why not go local, and it has turned out to be one of the best decisions we ever made because this has been a wonderful training camp,” McCarthy said.
Aspire student-athlete Faris Ayman Salih Ali, who was on his first-ever training camp, said, “We came here to this training camp to get out of the daily routine and relax. The training camp here in the desert has been a nice camp; we swim and train in the morning. I like running as a sport, and l expect to take benefits from the experience. The coach worked with us to improve, we started from a low level, and now we are improving and getting better each time. This year we are expecting new records and new medals.
“As a student-athlete at Aspire Academy, this is something I am proud of and I thank Aspire Academy for how they provide us with such support for us to be the best we can be.”
Meanwhile, the Qatar national swim team is on a training camp in preparation for the forthcoming international competitions. The camp is the second training camp this year since the pandemic.
Qatar Swimming Association (QSA) first had a camp in August for 18 days to prepare the swimmers for the forthcoming swimming season. It’s all hands to the deck as the swimmers crisscross between Aspire Academy pool and Hamad Aquatic Centre for intensive training, including fitness sessions in the Aspire gym.
The Qatar national swim team counts Aspire student-athletes and graduates among its number. They hope to make the final squad for the annual GCC competition in swimming scheduled for March 2021 and the AASF Asian Age Groups Championships 2021. This year is also expected to pack in other swimming competitions that were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, such as FINA Swimming World Cup.
Qatar Swimming Association coach Omar Kheddache said the swimmers had reacted well to the training camp. Due to the fruitful partnership and relationship between the Qatar Swimming Association and Aspire Academy, their operations have been running smoothly. “Everyone associated with swimming is pleased and grateful for the cooperation between the two key players in our sport, Qatar Swimming Association, and Aspire Academy. They work together so well that we can hold this training camp without any issue at all."
