By Sports Reporter/Doha

A high-ranking delegation of Aspire Academy officials, including Director of Sport Christopher Earle, Director of Sports Science Prof Tim Cable and Corporate Services Director Ali Sultan Fakhroo will be attending the 2nd International Conference on ‘The Athlete Development Pathway’ February in Tokyo today and tomorrow.
During the conference they will participate in a signing ceremony to establish the Association for Sports Institutes in Asia (ASIA). The founding signatories of the association include the Japan Sports Council, Singapore Sports Institute and Hong Kong Sports Institute alongside Aspire Academy. Similar institutes from Korea, China, Thailand and other Asian countries are expected to join later this year.
 “ASIA has been formed to encourage and facilitate the sharing of expertise and good practice in sports science and in coaching, particularly in the development of elite youth athletes, by countries across Asia,” said Prof Cable before leaving for Japan.
 “It is expected that partnerships in research together with exchanges between coaches and athletes will lead to mutually beneficial advances in talent identification, development and human performance,” he added.
Chris Earle also believes that the involvement of Aspire Academy in ASIA is quite important.
 “We hosted an Olympic Committee for Asia training camp for youth athletes late last year and we will be hosting another such event in November this year.  The ASIA group will assist in raising awareness of these important events as well as encouraging all Asian countries to participate by sending their best performing young athletes,” he said.