(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Joelyn Baluyut |
The Peninsula
Doha: Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) highlighted its facilities and business opportunities in expanding sports business to Qatar.
AZF CEO Office Project Manager, Faisal Fahad Zainal delivered a talk during Thursday's 'EXPO 2020 Dubai: Expand Your Sports Business to QFC' organised by the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) aimed to showcase the wealth of opportunity in Qatar sports market.
Zainal presented the facilities of Aspire sitting on a 2.5km2 located at Al Waab. He showcased the Aspire Academy, Aspire Logistics, Aspetar, Aspire Park, Khalifa International Stadium, Hamad Aquatic Center, Sport Accelerator, Villaggio Mall, The Torch, and 2022 Building among others.
He explained that Aspire Zone is unique as it was born out of the 2006 Asean Games as a legacy project. It boasts over 800,000 visitors per year with 88 hectares of green spaces.
“The Aspire Academy is where it all started, we essentially develop athletes, Qatari athletes to compete on the national level. Our fruit of our labour today has been shown through the 2019 Asian Cup Winning Team, 80 percent of that team was Aspire Academy graduates, on top of that we have Mutaz Essa Barshim who won the gold medal in the last [Tokyo] Olympics, he was an Aspire Academy graduate,” he explained.
Aspire Academy screens all the boys aged under eight in Qatar and train under them after selecting the best and most talented athletes. It has also partnered with educational institutions in the country in able to accomplish this. Once selected, they will be trained until 18 years of age. Coaches under the academy have worked for big organisations including Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Chelsea.
Doing business under this is in regards to sports performance and data as Aspire have agreements with companies like SAP to create performance tools dedicated to the academy.
Moreover, he explained the Aspire Logistics that manages all the venues of the 1.2 million sqm and is now being utilised for the 2022 FIFA World Cup where it is the largest service provider for facility and venue management. The key area focus on doing business under this is on training camps.
Aspetar, the sports medicine hospital was also discussed which has accreditation from both International Olympic Committee and FIFA. One of the opportunities entrepreneurs can invest in is on research agreements. It is currently in research agreements with some of the biggest retailers in the world and developing boots for female players and developing technology for hot climates.
Zainal also talked about Aspire Zone which is home to the Khalifa International Stadium, also one of the stadiums for the FIFA World Cup 2022. The Hamad Aquatic Center which will be hosting the 2023 FINA World Championships, Aspire Park which is one of the largest parks in the country wherein it hosted over 100 events annually.
He also stressed that Aspire Zone is the only GSAS Certified Sport City, meaning that much of its energy is solar-powered, and its running tracks are used from recycled tires. Also, the Villaggio Mall, one of the largest and busiest malls in the country, and the iconic 2022 building.
Zainal also revealed that Aspire Phase 2 is being developed and they are looking for third-party investors to develop it likewise. It covers over 176 hectares.
MENAFN26022022000063011010ID1103766341
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.