(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha: FIFA President Gianni Infantino praised the work being done by the Aspire Academy as the 8th eighth edition of Global Summit 2022 concluded yesterday.
Infantino was speaking to delegates at a gala dinner after the conclusion of first day of the Summit on Monday. The evening also featured a 'Star Chat' with former England captain David Beckham, who talked about the impact of the Aspire Academy on the legacy of Qatar hosting the FIFA World.
Infantino's thoughts came after a day of inspiring talks at Aspire Academy where delegates from the 32 nations qualified for the World Cup finals and members of the Aspire in the World Fellows discussed topics ranging from youth development to use of data.
“The work that you're doing is exactly what makes us, the fans of the game, feel this incredible emotion when we see the skills of the young players,” he said.
“We get to see all the players, that you have trained and the performance that we all see and admire the football pitch. It touches our emotions; it touches our hearts.”
In his Star Chat, Beckham talked about the legacy of Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup and the power of football as a uniting force.
“You only have to look at Aspire. That's a legacy,” he said.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the gala dinner.
“You want to inspire the next generations, to want to play this game. And it's not just about becoming a professional; it's about investing into wellness, into health, into the future of not just Qatar but the region too. It's about the next generation of footballers, or sport stars, or just people who want to be healthy and enjoy sports.”
He also had some words of advice for the Qatar national team players as they make history for their nation.
“Enjoy the moment. Take it in because to play in the world cup is the ultimate,” Beckham, who played at three World Cups, urged the team.
“When you look at Qatar's team, it's young, vibrant, and many of them have come from the Aspire Academy – and that means something.”
“It means something to the people here, it means something to the region, and the world cup coming to this part of the world is something that's bigger than just Qatar.”
“We talk about what the game can do, the game united people like no other game in the world, and it's simply why it's the biggest and best game in the world.”
“Our game is about inspiring the next generation, and the next generation, this is why the world cup is important.”
He also had some words of advice for the Qatar national team players as they make history for their nation.
“Enjoy the moment. Take it in because to play in the world cup is the ultimate,” Beckham, who played at three World Cups, urged the team.
“When you look at Qatar's team, it's young, vibrant, and many of them have come from the Aspire Academy – and that means something.”
“It means something to the people here, it means something to the region, and the World Cup coming to this part of the world is something that's bigger than just Qatar.”
“We talk about what the game can do, the game united people like no other game in the world, and it's simply why it's the biggest and best game in the world.”
The two-day event sessions concluded with the delegates sharing the outcomes of the three technical workshops: making an impact with data, preparing players and team for the competition, and optimising the recovery strategies.
Ahead of the World Cup the conclusions on preparing players were echoed by the Qatar national teams' head of fitness Alberto Mendez-Villanueva.
“The priority is to help the players adapt to play [in different circumstances], then it is to get the players adapted to our game model,” the former Aspire Academy coach explained.
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