Sports Wednesday, January 9, 2019 17 German FA delegates discuss cooperation with Aspire Zone TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK guided tour by Dr. Abdulaziz DOHA al Kuwari, Acting CEO, As- petar; and Dr. Hakim Chalabi, ASPIRE Zone Foundation Assistant Director General for (AZF) welcomed a senior International Medical Affairs. delegation from the German The delegation also had Football Association (DFB) on the opportunity to visit the Tuesday to discuss areas of co- various departments of As- operation between the two gi- petar, the accredited FIFA ant sporting organisations. Medical Centre of Excellence, The visiting delegation including: Sports Medicine, comprised various senior Sports Science, Orthopaedic members of the DFB includ- Surgery, Medical Imaging, ing: Oliver Bierhof, General Rehabilitation and Dentistry Manager of Germany’s na- departments. tional team and member of Their third stop was a visit the Presidential Board of to Aspire Academy and Profes- DFB; Nicklas Dietrich, Fit- sor Valter Di Salvo, Director of ness Coach of Germany’s na- Football Performance and Sci- tional team; Thomas Beheshti, ence, who gave the delegation Head of Team Management a sneak peek at the Academy’s DIE MANNSCHAFT; and Carl new Football Performance Monteiro, Head of Sales and Centre that centralises foot- Digital Marketing. ball performance, science and Ahead of the DFB estab- training methodology to sup- lishing a new sports academy port the development of elite in Frankfurt, they visited Qa- football in Qatar. tar to explore cooperation op- The beneficiaries of the portunities with AZF. centre include athletes at Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery (centre) and Arjen Robben (right) take part in the winter training camp at the Aspire Academy in Doha on Sunday (EPA) The German sports delega- Aspire Academy, as well as tion met with senior AZF offi- those playing in the Qatar cials Abdulla Nasser al Naemi Stars League and the Qatar Director General, Aspire Lo- National Team. gistics – Member AZF Organi- sation; Mohammed Mubarak Visit to the first stadium Robben backs Qatar to al Kuwari, Chief Marketing ready to host the 2022 Officer at AZF; and represent- FIFA World Cup Qatar atives of AZF’s Business De- The delegation ended the velopment Department. tour by visiting Khalifa In- The German and Qa- ternational Stadium, the first tari parties also discussed 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar deliver a great mundial steps to further develop their ready venue. cooperation and will hold Abdullah Aman al Khater, ready for that moment too.” last year, and they are still for young players in terms of another round of meetings Director of Events and Ven- Thiago Alcantara praises Aspire Meanwhile, the flying performing well this season. It what you can achieve in your on Wednesday. ues at AZF gave the visitors Dutchman revealed that will be a tough challenge. So, career if you believe in your- The distinguished guests an overview of the innova- Academy’s world class facilities some clubs have shown in- we must concentrate on our self and you are prepared to also received a detailed brief- tive and advanced systems terest in signing him follow- own game, work hard and try work hard.” ing at Aspetar, the orthopae- and technologies being im- TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK ous World Cup tournaments ing confirmation that he will to improve as much as possi- Alcantara shared his dic and sports medicine hos- plemented there to ensure an DOHA were a big success. And in this depart Bayern at the end of ble. If we have a good day and thoughts on his team’s train- pital. They were then given a amazing tournament in 2022. way, I am confident that the the season: “It’s nice to hear we play the way we want to ing camp at Aspire Zone and VETERAN Dutch winger Ar- 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar that clubs are interested. My play, I think we can make it a said: “Three things attracted jen Robben believes Qatar will be the same as the others.” future is still open, and I can very difficult game for them.” our team to Doha. The first would deliver a great World Spanish player Thiago Al- go in a number of directions. Robben had some very is the facilities at Aspire. Sec- Cup in 2022 while following in cantara says he’s impressed But I’d like to wait to make nice words for his former na- ondly, the weather here is the steps of previous success- with the facilities on ground a decision. I want to focus tional teammate Wesley Snei- ideal. And thirdly the people ful hosts. The Bayern Munich towards Qatar’s preparations on the here and now, on jder, who plays for Al Gharafa: are so hospitable – they wel- player spoke with the media at for 2022 FIFA World Cup, “It getting fully fit and playing “He is one of the best players comed us from the very first the team’s winter tour camp at will be awesome. Although we football. I will wait until the I’ve ever played with. We have moment we arrived. We are the Aspire Zone on Monday. are a little bit away from the end of the season to make a lot of great memories of very happy to be here.” The 2010 World Cup final- world cup itself, you can see a decision. I am privileged playing together since we were “We have a great time ists who is in the last year of all the facilities taking shape and grateful that teams are in the U-16 national team. He here. The facilities are fan- his contract with Bayern, said: around the city. The pitches showing their interest.” is a good friend on and off the tastic, and we have every- “It will be a great tournament that we are training on [at On the encounter with pitch and I think very highly thing we need for training, hopefully. When a tournament Aspire Zone] are amongst the Liverpool in the UEFA Cham- of him. He has great experi- getting plenty of rest, eating is assigned to a country, every- best I think I’ve ever trained pions League, the 34-year-old ence and can bring something healthy food and following a body is hoping that it is going on. I think Qatar will be ready said: “They are doing a great special to a game. He has this really healthy lifestyle to pre- to be a great tournament. I be- for the World Cup. And I know job this season. They reached amazing quality in his feet. He pare us for the (second half) German Football Association delegation with Aspire Zone Foundation lieve that in the end, all previ- that my own country will be the Champions League final also sets a really good example of the season.” officials at Aspetar. AFC ASIAN CUP 2019 Yoshida wants Japan to avoid tournament pressure Turkmenistan coach promises Blue Samurai tough encounter today AFP will rely instead on the mer- ABU DHABI curial Takumi Minamino and Ritsu Doan. JAPAN captain Maya Yoshida “We’ve brought in some has called on his side to cope fresh blood since the World with pressure to perform at Cup but we have a nice mix of the Asian Cup as they look to youth and experience,” insist- make up for their flop four ed Moriyasu. years ago. “It’s a chance for the The Southampton de- young players to forge their Bayern Munich’s Sporting Director Salihamidzic with an official fender admitted on Tuesday own paths as Japan interna- from Qatar in Doha on Monday. that several of the Japan team tionals.” were still smarting from their Japan will expect to eas- shock penalty shootout loss to ily advance from a group also QSL holds joint session with United Arab Emirates in the including Uzbekistan and quarter-finals last time out in Oman, but the Asian Cup has Bayern’s director Salihamidzic Australia. already thrown up its share of “That was a huge disap- upsets, with holders Australia TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK livery & Legacy and Aspire pointment but this is a new stunned 1-0 by Jordan in their DOHA Academy representatives. team with a new manager,” opening game. Japan’s national team head coach Hajime Moriyasu (left) and team captain Maya Yoshida at a press The purpose of the ses- Yoshida told reporters before “Australia got beaten, conference in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. (AFP) IN line with the Qatar Stars sion was to learn from the the Blue Samurai’s opening Thailand lost to India and League’s (QSL) keenness to best practices related to roles Group F game against Turk- South Korea struggled to win further develop the profes- and responsibilities, innova- menistan in Abu Dhabi. their first game so the first sional football system and tion, leadership, scouting, re- “After the World Cup game is hugely important for benefit from the experience cruitment, football manage- last year expectation is really us,” said Yoshida. as well as expertise of inter- ment and strategic planning, high,” he added, pointing to “The first order of business national sports institutions among other matters, and to Japan’s surprise run to the will be to make sure we get and clubs, its Competitions apply the knowledge, in or- last 16 in Russia, where only out of our group. We have to & Football Development de- der to achieve excellence. a remarkable comeback by grow into the tournament step partment organised a Ques- Sporting Directors took Belgium from two goals down by step. tions & Answers session with the opportunity to ask rel- prevented them reaching the “The new players have top German Bundesliga club evant and pragmatic ques- quarter-finals.