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ASPIRE launch Rookie Award at Qatar Fencing Grand Prix

DOHA, January 27, 2009: ASPIRE Academy for Sports Excellence has launched a new award to recognize the talents of young international sports men and women who compete in tournaments hosted by the Academy.

The ‘ASPIRE Rookie Award' will be presented to the most talented youngster at each of the sports events which the ASPIRE Academy partners with.

The first competitors to be awarded the 2009 ASPIRE Rookie Award were Qatar national youth team fencers Ahmad Fathi Al Dossary and Hanadi Al Yami, who showed exceptional promise at the 2009 Qatar Fencing Grand Prix, which was hosted by ASPIRE this week.

17 year old Ahmad Fathi Al Dossary reached the first round of the men's epee event, which was eventually won by Italian Rota Alfredo, while Hanadi Al Yami, who is 20, made it through to the last 64 of the women's event which went to Anna Branza from Romania.

The head of the ASPIRE Active program, Gisela Hackfort presented the inaugural ASPIRE Rookie Award to Hanadi Al Yami, with Ahmad Fathi Al Dossary receiving his award from ASPIRE finance affairs manager, Ali Sultan Fakhroo.

ASPIRE's sports director, Dr. Andreas Bleicher presented the bronze medal to the third-place woman in the single epee event.

More than 150 fencers from 29 countries competed at the annual tournament which has been held at ASPIRE since 2005.

“The ASPIRE Rookie Award recognizes the talents of the young international champions and highlights to our own student athletes that hard work, dedication and high goals lead to improved performance and acknowledgment,” said Laurent Joliat, Communications Manager, ASPIRE.

“Ahmad Fathi Al Dossary and Hanadi Al Yami showed great maturity to perform well against competitors much older and more experienced than them. They were a credit to themselves and the sport and have very bright futures in fencing,” he added.

The ASPIRE Dome's unrivaled facilities includes eight dedicated fencing strips and spectator viewing areas to provide an up close and personal experience of the exciting action. Fencing is one of the many sports offered at ASPIRE as part of the mission to identify and develop young sporting talent into world-renowned champions.

“We will award the trophy to the most outstanding young talent at each of the events taking place throughout the busy calendar of international sports events hosted by ASPIRE,” added Joliat.

ASPIRE Academy for sports excellence hosts many of the sports events attracted to Qatar including the Asian Games, Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, the Doha Artistic World Cup Series and a major international Sports Science Conference.

ASPIRE opened in 2004 to identify and develop sporting talent across Qatar and the surrounding region. The academy is also a focus for the world-renowned sporting culture within the country.