France Woman’s national rugby union squad concludes training camp in Aspetar

DOHA, December 23, 2017 - In preparation for the upcoming season of the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series, the French women's national rugby union team have recently concluded a week-long training camp in Aspetar where they have benefitted from Aspetar's innovative state-of-the-art Altitude Rooms, the first fully-integrated dormitory of its kind in the world.The women's rugby team visited Aspetar to prepare for the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series, a five-round tournament running from November until June. The annual event attracts fans from all over the world who enjoy the sprints and sprawls of sevens rugby.Aspetar's recently-renovated altitude dormitory is a purpose built normobaric hypoxic facility that utilises a filtration system to reduce the oxygen concentration in the air. Hypoxic training is one of the well-known practices utilised to enhance athlete performance during major competitions.Designed specifically for elite training camps, the facility allows athletes to improve endurance by stimulating the body to increase production of red blood cells, thus increasing the proportion of oxygen in the blood. The rooms can replicate an altitude range of 500m to 5500m, enabling athletes to “live high, train low" by replicating hide altitude training from sea-level. The facility also uses advanced technology that enables conditions to be monitored remotely from anywhere in the world and can house up to 50 athletes.Speaking about Aspetar's training methodology, Dr. Olivier Girard, Research Scientist at Aspetar, said: “In 2013, Aspetar hosted the first Altitude Training and Team Sports Conference, bringing together more than 15 experts and 200 attendees. Since then, the conference has become a staple of Aspetar's events calendar. We wanted to experiment with a new altitude training programme with the French Rugby Team to prepare them for the new rugby season. We usually go for a simulated altitude of 3km when training visiting sports teams, but this time we went for a simulated altitude of 5km, across four training sessions in the hypoxic chambers.“This hyper-intensive training will help maximise results and improve their performance as much as possible over a short period of time. The training included the use of a special treadmill that's only available in Qatar and one other country. We use this to measure the ground reaction force for every step made against the ground. We then benchmark their performance against that of other visitors.“We also used a new assessment methodology that focuses on a flow-mediated dilation test [the most commonly utilised non-invasive assessment of vascular functions in people]. To my knowledge, this is the first time that this sort of comprehensive assessment has been conducted for elite athletes under one roof, and we are delighted to bring cutting-edge medical and sports science support to elite teams which help to give them a competitive edge."Meanwhile, Dr Sebastien Racinais, Head of Research Athlete Health and Performance in Aspetar, praised their collaborations with various French sporting organizations, saying: “We [Aspetar] have been collaborating with the French Rugby Federation for six years now. The aim of this collaboration is to develop innovative training methodologies. This partnership has recently been strengthened by the signing of another Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the French National Institute of Sport (INSEP) and Aspire Zone Foundation [the parent organization. They first came here in 2014 before the Winter Olympics to benefit from altitude facilities where we can imitate any altitude in the world."He added, “This collaboration helps Aspetar collect data from elite athletes which we can use to learn more about the training and then apply it to other athletes who come here from other countries."Commenting on their stay in Aspetar, Fanny Horta, captain of the French Female Rugby 7 National Team, said: “We came here two years ago with the French national team and at that time we stayed in a hotel nearby. Being here in the hospital allowed us to be closer to the training pitches, and it also helped in terms of time management and the ability to have a really complete day of training because we have everything here in one place: the Gym, the pool, the training pitch, the medical staff, and the fitness coaches at our disposal."“Staying at the altitude rooms] was the best way for us to acclimatize to the temperature, because it's very cold now in France and the low temperature could have a negative impact on our preparation and what we will deliver on the pitch [in Dubai]. So all this helped us to be in ideal conditions to work on our performance."David Courteix, Coach of the French Female Rugby 7 National Team, Technical Staff at the French Federation of Rugby, also said: “We are here for a pre-competition 'sharpening' training camp. We have been here to train with a huge training load and exceptional training conditions, and we have the chance to do that here at Aspetar thanks to the partnership that we have between the French Federation of Rugby, the INSEP, and Aspetar."“Regarding the infrastructure and the state of the art facility of Aspetar, it has no equal in the world. The sunny weather and warm temperatures are very helpful for a sport like Rugby 7," he added.Meanwhile, Anthony Couderc, Fitness Coach of the French Female Rugby 7 National Team, said: “Our training in Doha was different from the one we had in South Africa earlier, and focused on what we call 'sharpening'. That means we reduce the work volume and maintain high intensity actions to be prepared for the competition. Aspetar allows us to do hypoxic training with repetitive bicycle sprint sessions at Altitude, whilst doing external training under Qatar's warm environment on Aspire Zone's outdoor pitches.“Aspetar allowed us to work with the best scientists in the world, such as Dr Olivier Girard and Dr Sebastien Racinais, for the construction of our scientific protocol; which supported us to conduct advanced and developed researches." Couderc concluded.Aspetar has become the preferred training camp destination for elite international teams and athletes. Aspetar will host the French men's national rugby team on December 27th. Meanwhile, Aspire Zone, Aspetar's parent organisation, is currently hosting the French athletic team, comprising prominent athletes including Kevin Mayer, the 2017 Decathlon World Champion, and will be welcoming Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich for their winter training camps in the coming weeks.

QNB helps students' dream come true with PSG training session

​DOHA, December 23, 2017 - QNB, the largest financial institution in the Middle East and Africa, organised in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education a training session at Aspire Zone, bringing together Paris Saint-Germain star players with over 20 students from various Qatari public schools, and a number of children of Qatar Orphans Foundation(Dhreima).This special event was organised as part of QNB's activities as an official sponsor of Paris Saint-Germain, which dominates the top of Ligue 1 2017-2018 season and which has won to date a total of34 trophies making it the most successful French club in history.The event was also aimed at consolidating the growing popularity of the French club in Qatar, now in Doha as part of their annual Qatar Winter Tourand training camp.The initiative comes as part of QNB's social responsibility in serving the community in various fields by organising and sponsoring various activities throughout the year.The dreams of over 20 talented children, who were chosen by the Ministry from various public schools in Qatar, came true as they learned soccer tricks from Paris Saint-Germain's coach Unai Emery and the club's star players Neymar JR, Edinson Cavani, Kylian Mbapp`, Thiago Silva and Giovani Lo Celso.The children made good use of the opportunity to showcase their skills to the Paris Saint-Germain legends.Commenting on the event, Yousef Darwish, General Manager of QNB Group Communications, said:"On behalf of QNB, I would like to extend our deep thanks to Ministry of Education and Higher Education for its fruitful cooperation to organise this event where ever-popular Paris Saint-Germain team met their fans in Qatar. This is a great opportunity, which comes within our keenness to promote sport as a platform to develop skills and teach values required to help build the human capital required for making Qatar National Vision 2030 a reality.""While QNB is committed to providing banking excellence to its customers around the world, working to enhance our leadership in the field of corporate social responsibility is considered as a key goal through supporting and promoting an environment conducive to health among youth and children," Darwish added.On behalf of Paris Saint-Germain, Fr`d`ric Longu`p`e, Deputy General Manager, said: '' Partnering with QNB Group is highly appreciated and we expect this camp to be exceptional and to add value to both sides. The team is pleased to be visiting Doha and to meet with talented students who have a special football passion and skills''. Following the training session, Paris Saint-Germain players took a group photo, as well as autographed and signed soccer ball and jerseys.

Defending champs Qatar eager to start Gulf Cup campaign with a win

KUWAIT CITY, December 23, 2017 - Qatar coach Felix Sanchez yesterday sounded upbeat ahead of his team's Gulf Cup opener against Yemen on Saturday, saying his young side is confident of getting the three points. Qatar, the defending champions, face Yemen at the Kuwait Sports Club Stadium. In another match on Saturday, Bahrain face Iraq in another Group B clash.The 23rd edition of the Gulf Cup - the region's most popular football event for national sides - has Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman and hosts Kuwait in Group A."We are looking forward to our first game. We have prepared well. We know it pays well when you start well in a tournament. So we are looking at our first game with intention of winning it," Sanchez told a packed media conference yesterday."When you make a good start, you usually do well and settle into a nice rhythm. The players have been working very hard. They want to play a good tournament. We have the potential (to dominate)," the Spaniard added."All the players we have here are obviously the best ones we have. All the players involved in the squad are very motivated to do well. We are the defending champions. We want to compete hard against what are very good teams."The standard is high and we are looking forward to starting positively. The confidence is high since the players know we are the defending champions," he said.When asked to comment on the Yemen team, Sanchez said: "Yemen is a good side. I would say they have a group of talented players, They have some brilliant individual players. They have our respect. They are a fine bunch of players. We will try to attack early."He added: "Our ambition is to play a very good game against Yemen and then get a good result also. We want to start with three points. Then we will think about the next game. We will go step by step in this tournament."We are very motivated because we are proud champions of this tournament. It is a tough competition. Players are raring to go. Hopefully we will get the results we are looking at," Sanchez said.Yemen's Ethiopian coach Abraham Mebratu said his team has prepared to spring a surprise."As you know, we have not won a game in Gulf Cup. That is history but we are here to make new history. For the match against Qatar, we are ready," Mebratu said. "We are here to make new history for Yemen. We want to make people happy," he added."The group is strong for me. Qatar ended up playing the 2018 World Cup qualifying matches. They also have great experience of playing and doing well in the Gulf Cup tournaments. We respect them. But remember there are no small teams in football," he said."National teams can do well and they do well. We can do well too. My players are very optimistic. We want to get the first three points in this tournament. My boys are in a good shape. During our last Asian participation, we played seven games and did not lose a single match. They know how to win. They know what it means to win. They are in a very good mood," Mebratu said.After their game on Saturday, Qatar take on Iraq (Dec 26) followed by a game against Bahrain (Dec 29).Qatar squad: Saeed Al Shaeb, Yousuf Hasan, Mohamed Al Kubri, Pedro Miguel, Assim Madibo, Akram Afif, Hassan Al Haydos (captain), Almoez Ali, Abdullah Al Harq, Bassam Al Rawi, Al Mahdi Ali, Abdulkarem Salim, Ahmed Fatehi, Hamad Al Obaidi, Mohammed Muntari, Ahmed Yasser, Ali Fareeuddin, Abdulkarem Hassan, Musab Kheder, Ismail Mohammad, Karim Boudiaf, Othman Al Yahri and Ahmed Moein.

Qatar will host a wonderful World Cup, says Neymar

DOHA, December 22, 2017 - No personal pictures, no flash photography, no controversial questions," an official reminded the media while clearing the corridor of people. Neymar was in another part of the hotel, awaiting the signal that all was well so that he could come down to his press conference.Suddenly, a hush descended on the hall where the event was to take place. A couple of intrepid reporters nevertheless kept their cell phones at the ready, hoping to get a long-shot selfie as Neymar passed by them on the way to his seat. They were disappointed with the outcome of their efforts.The Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain star is one of the most fiercely protected sportsmen on the planet. Every move of his is timed to perfection by the security team. Qatar-owned PSG may have paid a staggering $263mn to get him from Barcelona, but in purely sporting terms his value far exceeds that. Less than three months since he took the short flight from Barcelona to Paris to sign for the top French Club, he has become indispensable to their fortunes.Inevitably, the first question sporting celebrities visiting Qatar face is about the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Like everybody else, Neymar, too, couldn't help praise the country's preparations and its facilities.“I have full confidence in Qatar as the hosts of the World Cup in 2022," said Neymar. “I am sure Qatar will host a perfect and wonderful World Cup."The Brazilian, who only prior visit to Qatar was six years ago, marvelled at all the development taking place in the build-up to the mega event in five years' time.“Some of the facilities I saw, like Aspire, could be the envy of any other country. I hope that other countries, too, develop such facilities for the benefit of young sportsmen," he said. Neymar also dwelt on some personal goals, saying winning the Champions League for PSG and the Ballon d'or award was topmost on his bucket list. “The Champions League is a top priority for me, no question. If I am able to help PSG win the event, I'll be able to carry that confidence to the World Cup in Russia," added Neymar whose club will be clashing with Real Madrid in the tournament's round of 16 in February. He also dismissed reports that he was struggling to adjust in Paris.“I have been warmly welcomed in Paris by everyone and I am more than happy with what I have achieved so far for the club. The fans and supporters of my team have always backed me."Neymar's strike partner Edinson Cavani, who also spoke to the media, said he loves to visit Qatar as part of PSG's winter tour every year.“This country (Qatar) is not new for me. I've been always welcomed here. The atmosphere during our training is always festive, with many fans turning up," said the Uruguayan. Cavani is enjoying a stellar stint at PSG where he scored a goal against Caen in their Ligue 1 match on Wednesday, a few hours before taking a chartered flight to Qatar with the team. It was his 155th goal in 224 games for PSG since he joined them in 2013, leaving him just one short of the club's all-time record of 156 set by none other than Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who now plays for Manchester United. But the genial star dismissed the importance of personal milestones, saying it is the team performance that eventually counts.“I am not a fan of such numbers. All that matters for me are good results for the team. My focus is on winning the French title as well as the Champions League."Meanwhile, PSG's teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe said playing alongside Neymar and Cavani was a great learning experience for him.“It's amazing that I can learn from these stars at the start of my career,"said Mbappe, who also scored against Caen on Wednesday, his 19th birthday. “I happily take whatever advice they give me. It would be great if I could win the Champions League with this great bunch of players."

Tamimi has pride of place again

​DOHA, December 22, 2017 - Qatar's Abdulla al Tamimi has been granted the top billing for the Qatar Circuit No. 5, which is scheduled to play the main round at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex from Friday. Tamimi, who won the Qatar Circuit No 4 with a comprehensive straight-game win over seventh seed Karim al Hammamy of Egypt, will launch his campaign against Robert Downer of England. Tamimi recently created history by becoming the first Qatari to win a match in the World Championship. In Manchester recently, the local star went to play the third round in which he lost to three-time world champion Nick Matthew. The second seed has gone to Spanish player Iker Pajares Bernabeu. India's Mahesh Mangaonkar is seeded third, while Egyptian Hammamy got the fifth seed. Switzerland's Dimitri Steinmann has been accorded the sixth seed, while the seventh seed is Spanish Bernat Jaume and the eighth seed is Finland's Matias Tuomi. Apart from Tamimi, two other Qataris have been entered in the main draw directly Syed Azlan Amjad and Umair Zaman. The qualifying rounds began on Wednesday and the final will be played on December 26 evening.Tournament Director Saad al Mohannadi said,"The tournament will help improve the level of the young Qatari players as it will provide them with the opportunity to compete with players from all over the world.""The Qatar Squash Federation spares no efforts to provide the Qatari players with all possible means of support and to promote squash inside and outside the state of Qatar,"he added.Qatar's national team Oryx recorded a convincing 6-1 victory over Oil Kings to win the title of Qatar Ice Hockey League 2017 at Villaggio Ice court. The prestigious league was organised to prepare the national team for the upcoming World Junior Ice Hockey Championship 2018. The league brought together five teams.Qatar's national team captain Mohammed al Khalaf appreciated his teammates for their fine performance and said,"The national team's victory shows that we have had the best possible preparations for the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship 2018 and we will try to put up best show there."

Qatar team ready for Arab Gulf Cup campaign

KUWAIT, December 22, 2017 – Defending champions, Qatar's senior football team received a warm reception from the tournament's organizing committee upon arrival at Kuwait International Airport to participate in the 23rd Arab Gulf Cup.The eyes of Gulf football fans will be on Kuwait where the 23rd Arab Gulf Cup kicks off Friday at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium. The tournament, which has grown to become part of the popular heritage of the region, bears the logo of the dove of peace coloured in the flags of the GCC countries under the theme “Gulf Forever" as a sign of the unity of the Gulf people and close ties between them. The showpiece launches after the opening ceremony, which starts Friday at 5.30pm as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia take to the pitch to kick off the tournament before UAE and Oman play the second game in Group A afterwards.Group B starts tomorrow and features Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain and Yemen. The group matches will be played at Kuwait Sports Club Stadium.The 23rd edition will be different from previous ones, especially after lifting the suspension on Kuwaiti sport, which lasted two years before FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced before the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah earlier this month that the sanction was over.The draw of the tournament was carried out in Doha on Sept. 25 and placed Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman in Group A, while Qatar were drawn alongside Bahrain, Iraq and Yemen in Group B. At the time of the draw, holders Qatar were automatically drawn into Group A, but Kuwait were then put in Group A after the lifting of suspension and their return to the competition.The first edition of the tournament was held in 1970 in Bahrain, featuring Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, with Kuwait becoming the first Gulf champions.Saudi Arabia hosted the 22nd Gulf Cup in 2014 with the participation of the eight teams and Qatar were able to win the trophy for the third time. Numbers and statistics have a big role in the world of football through which the success and the failure of any tournament can be measured, and the scoring statistics show to a large extent the strength of the team and star performances in different tournaments. The Gulf Cup was no exception as its statistics were always of great interest and the abundance of goals has always been a factor in increasing the popularity of matches in many previous editions of the tournament.The previous tournaments saw a remarkable progress in performance and the high level of scoring from the first to the fourth tournament is an evidence to that, but the following tournaments saw a sharp decline in the number of goals due to the defensive attitude of some teams.The last 22 tournaments saw 867 goals being scored, including 260 goals in the last seven editions of the tournament.The goals were scored in 346 matches over the past 22 tournaments at an average of 2.51 goals per match. Kuwait was the highest scoring team with 193 goals. Kuwait's Jassim Yaqoub was crowned the best scorer in the history of the Arab Gulf Cup so far after scoring 18 goals in the tournaments he participated in. He was top scorer in the third championship with six goals and the fourth championship with nine goals.The fourth tournament witnessed 84 goals in 22 games with an average of 3.82 goals per match but the second tournament was the best in terms of goal-scoring, where 25 goals were scored in six games with a rate of 4.17 goals per match. The lowest tournament in terms of number of goals was the first tournament because of the participation of only four teams. Only 19 goals were scored in six matches, but the goal rate stood at 3.17 per match. The last edition was one of the intermediate editions in terms of the number of goals (33 goals) and the average 2.06 goals per match.The Kuwaiti team performed well in previous editions, winning the title 10 times compared to three titles for Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The UAE won it twice and Oman once.Kuwait were also the most active team in the tournaments as they participated in all previous 22 editions equally with Qatar. The UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia took part in 21 editions, 20 for Oman and 13 for Iraq, while Yemen has participated in the tournament only seven times so far.Kuwait lead the tournament with the number of matches played so far. They participated in 107 matches compared to 105 for Qatar, 103 for UAE, 102 for Saudi Arabia, 99 for Bahrain and Oman, 53 for Iraq and 24 for Yemen. Additionally, Kuwait have the highest number of victories, winning 56 matches, with the highest winning percentage at 52.33 percent. Except for Yemen, which participated only in the last seven tournaments and have not won any matches so far, Oman have the lowest number of victories as they won 16 matches out of 99 (16.16 percent).