The Peninsula

Doha: The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) welcomed to its Bayt Qatar talented young Brazilian athletes who have won a place to train at Aspire Academy later this year as part of the ‘Shine"; project.

The athletes experienced their first taste of Qatar as they toured the hospitality house and learnt about Qatar";s culture, sporting history and future through innovative and interactive exhibitions.

The QOC established Shine to support and assist young athletes from disadvantaged backgrounds from Rio de Janeiro and leave a compelling legacy from the Rio 2016 Games.

The QOC, Qatar Athletics Federation and Aspire Academy for Sporting Excellence partnered with Futuro Olimpico, an NGO founded by Arnaldo de Oliveira, Brazil";s Olympic bronze medallist from Atlanta ‘96, and the Rio de Janeiro Athletics Federation to organise the project.

Almost 200 athletes participated in the Shine Athletics Tournament this May for the chance to win a trip to train at the world-renowned Aspire Academy with specialised coaching and sports science support.

Ten youngsters won a place on the trip and many have never left Brazil before. The QOC invited Shine athletes to Bayt Qatar to give them a further understanding of what to expect when they visit Qatar and find out more about the world-class sports facilities where they will train.

The athletes visited the Aspire booth, which showed them through an interactive film more about the world";s largest multi-purpose indoor arena that houses the Aspire Academy.

They were welcomed into the Athletes"; Lounge to meet QOC Secretary General Dr Thani Abdulrahman Al Kuwari and discuss more about their sporting experiences and what their training camp in Doha will be like.

Dr Al Kuwari said: 'The QOC is passionate about spreading the Olympic spirit far and wide and touching the lives of people from around the world. It was a pleasure to welcome our Shine winners to Bayt Qatar tonight and share with them our culture, warm hospitality and passion for sport.

'I hope that they have enjoyed learning more about Qatar and the facilities they will be training at when they visit Doha later this year. Some athletes have never left Brazil before and we are so pleased to be offering this opportunity that we hope will have a positive impact on their journeys to become Brazil";s future Olympic heroes.”

Dr Al Kuwari also presented the athletes with surprise tickets to watch the Olympic athletics on Tuesday when the high jump final will take place, and Qatar";s sporting hero Mutaz Barshim will be hoping to realise his Olympic dreams against the best athletes in the world.

The athletes who did not think they would have the opportunity to attend any Olympic events were surprised, delighted and excited over their tickets.

Shine athlete Paola Moreira Rosa said: 'Everything is so beautiful. We are learning a bit about their culture. They were so welcoming and I am very happy. I hope I can see more of their culture and learn more of everything for the rest of my life.”

The QOC is also supporting Futuro Olimpico, which aims at taking athletics to students at Rio de Janeiro";s public schools. Proceeds from entry fees to Bayt Qatar will be donated to the NGO to buy uniforms and equipment for athletes.

The athletes will arrive in Qatar with Arnaldo later this year for a week-long training camp. The Aspire Academy regularly hosts training camps for Asia";s most talented young athletes to enable them to enhance their development and performance through tailored and optimised training programmes.