RRUGBYUGBY | Page 4 GGOLFOLF | Page 6 Erasmus Na outlasts demands Cantlay in ‘intensity’ playoff to win as Boks eye US PGA Las quarters Vegas title Tuesday, October 8, 2019 FOOTBALL Safar 9, 1441 AH Qatar 2022 will be GULF TIMES unlike any other World Cup, says Cafu SPORT Page 3 SPOTLIGHT ‘There are many great ideas in football, but often times we face obstacles. We are fortunate here in Qatar that everyone has a lot of patience, because in order to achieve something it takes resilience’ By Sports Reporter keep pushing and learning from one traditional set-up for people to gather Doha another. That’s why we keep bringing in Qatar, di Salvo said. good coaches to the league in Qatar, so We don’t want to teach people the players keep developing.” something, we want people to share atience and resilience form the Bravo also took the time to refl ect and work together. And that is our goal foundation of Qatar’s sporting on the things he talked about in pre- over the next three days. Furthermore, ambitions and the success the vious editions of the Global Summit we are able to do that in Aspire Acad- country has achieved so far, and stressed that this forum is an ideal emy’s Football Performance Center, a PIvan Bravo, the Director General of As- platform to share experiences and to hub where we develop our players and pire Academy, has said. collaborate in order to get new ideas that was designed under the premise to Bravo was addressing delegates at- that can help to contribute something send the sport scientists to the pitches tending the Aspire Academy Global to their clubs and in return also con- in contrast to sending football players Summit in which representatives from tribute something to the success of the to the labs.” about 50 football clubs and federations “Aspire in the World Fellows” commu- Di Salvo dwelt upon exemplary work are taking part. nity. the community has done since 2014 “There are many great ideas in foot- Earlier in his address, Bravo wel- including the creation of 260 presen- ball, but often times we face obstacles. comed the guests and described their tations that were uploaded on the Fel- We are fortunate here in Qatar that community – the “Aspire in the World lows’ online platform and the fi rst re- everyone has a lot of patience, because Fellows” – as unique in terms of work- search publication in an international in order to achieve something it takes ing together in the world of global Journal of Sport Science a week ago. resilience,” Bravo said during his open- football. “Each year we keep moving forward ing address. Ivan Bravo, the Director General of Aspire “I am happy to see a lot of very fa- and it’s one of my dreams for this com- “I previously told you about our road Academy and Valter Di Salvo (bottom), Executive miliar faces from previous editions in munity to give something back to peo- map, our vision towards 2022 and the Director of the Aspire Academy Global Summit Paris, Berlin, London and Amsterdam ple that are not as fortunate as us in the milestones that show our progres- speak during the opening session yesterday. and I also welcome the people that join future.” sion. And in order to progress you need us today for the fi rst time.” Speaking on the fi fth edition of the continuity and trust in the people that He stressed that the location of this event, Global Summit Chairman Ali have worked with the young genera- year’s Summit – the Academy’s Foot- Salem Afi fa said that “this is an oppor- tions of Qatari footballers day in and ball Performance Center – was also tunity to renew contacts and discuss day out and every year we felt that we a good example for great teamwork topics of mutual interest with del- made another step forward,” he added. that originated from an idea that he egates from all over the world in a one Bravo, who was Director of Strategy discussed with Football Performance of the latest distinctive football set- at Real Madrid before heading to Qatar & Science Director and “Aspire in the tings – the Aspire Academy Football several years ago, said Qatar’s success World Fellows” founder Valter di Salvo Performance Center. I am sure every- at the Asian Cup earlier this year was eight years ago. one will have fruitful and rewarding also a result of the same approach. “There were some stops on the road, exchanges of ideas in the next few days “We built our athletes knowing their everybody had to get in the same state and I wish them every success with weaknesses and the context in which of mind and it’s not easy to put the this important conference and a very they are in. We worked step by step “we” in front of the “I”, but the re- pleasant stay in Doha.” and then the triumph at the Asian Cup sult of what we accomplished is truly Some big names in international happened with a whole nation behind amazing.” football such as Tottenham FC man- us. An unthinkable result when you Di Salvo, who also spoke on the oc- ager Mauricio Pochettino, the retired think that Qatar faced those monsters casion, said he was delighted to fi nally Argentinian top forward Hernan Cre- in terms of their population and foot- be able to welcome the Fellows in Qa- spo, former Real Madrid-coach San- ball history, said Bravo. tar. tiago Solari and former Australian star “This achievement gives us the en- “The layout of our summits is quite player Tim Cahill are also attending ergy give us one more push. And we special. It reminds of the Majlis, the the summit. BOTTOMLINE Athletics Worlds done, focus back on football DPA featuring the likes of Champi- used for both tournaments, that witnessed the Asian Doha ons League winners Liverpool and although the set-up for Champions League semi- from December 11 to 22 — a the athletics and football dif- fi nal between home team Al A view of the Education City dress rehearsal of sorts. fer, “some of the temporary Sadd and Saudi Arabia’s Al Stadium that will host matches iant billboards make Sebastian Coe, president installations for the athletics Hilal last week. in the Club World Cup as well sure that the 2022 of the ruling athletics body championships will be kept “We were pleased to see the as the 2022 FIFA Cup. football World Cup IAAF, dismissed doubts and used for the FIFA Club good atmosphere at the sta- is omnipresent in whether Qatar was the right World Cup,” according to a dium at the AFC Champions Gthe host nation Qatar more place to host the track and FIFA spokesperson Dahlan al- League semi-fi nal earlier this than three years ahead of its fi eld showpiece. “Why would Hamad, vice-president of the week in Doha,” Spahn said. kick-off . it be the wrong place?” Coe Doha Worlds organising com- The club tournament will Stadium construction is asked back, satisfi ed with mittee. Dahlan also said his be played exclusively in Doha ongoing and massive infra- good organisation and an team were “in a big co-opera- at Education City, Khalifa and structure projects such as air-conditioned stadium and tion with the 2022 team. They Jassim bin Hamad stadiums, roadworks and metro lines are FIFA too is confi dent of Qa- are here with us. We work to- the fi rst two also being used also among the preparations tar putting up a great show in gether hand in hand.” for the World Cup. for the global sporting show- 2022 as well as the Club World The heat will not be a prob- Doha will have eight sta- piece. Cup in December. lem at the fi rst-ever winter diums at the World Cup, in- As soon as the 1,970 ath- “The co-operation with World Cup, for which the cluding the 80,000-seat Lu- letes from 208 countries tak- the Qatari authorities is out- whole match-calendar in sail Stadium currently under ing part in the the IAAF World standing. We are very con- Europe will be revamped be- construction, and even the Athletics Championships had fi dent that the upcoming cause the conditions made a distance to the arena furthest packed up Sunday, the next FIFA events in Qatar will be World Cup impossible at the away from the capital is a event was looming in the form successful,” Helmut Spahn, traditional June/July slot. mere 70 kilometres. of the inaugural World Beach FIFA’s German security chief, Temperatures during the Spahn spoke of “a challenge Games starting Saturday, fol- told DPA. tournament are expected to but also a historical opportu- lowed immediately by the FIFA said it had inspec- range between 15 and 24 de- nity with many positive as- congress of the Association of tors in Qatar over the past grees Celsius, off ering “opti- pects” while FIFA also noted National Olympic Commit- fortnight to look at the state mal conditions for players and that, if desired, fans “will be tees. of preparations for the Club fans,” according to FIFA. able to attend more than one More important in respect World Cup and the World Football is a bigger attrac- match per day in 2022” due to the World Cup is the hold- Cup. tion than athletics as was evi- to the compact nature of the ing of the Club World Cup Khalifa Stadium will be denced by the packed crowd tournament.