Aspire Academy, a member-organization of Aspire Zone Foundation, was the official sponsor of the lunch at the recent high-level IFA Roundtable in Tokyo on December 12, 2012.
Over 30 industry and club football leaders, representatives of governing bodies from the six FIFA Confederations, and senior members of the world body's executive committee met to participant in the Roundtable. In addition, officials met with top-level representatives from clubs who have qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup.
The event, which took place at the Ritz Carlton Tokyo, featured a lunch as well as four key note addresses. Speakers included Jerôme Valcke, General Secretary of FIFA; Khaled Mortagy, Member of the FIFA Club Committee and Executive Board, and Member of Al Ahly Football Club; Ron Gourlay, Chelsea FC CEO; and Lydia Nsekera, FIFA Executive Committee Member.
The representatives discussed a range of topics from football's future in North Africa after the Arab Spring to a model explaining how European club interests can be harmoniously linked with Asian requirements and football development.
A recurrent theme was the importance of the future of football: "If we want to enhance football's sound and solid future, we must spend time, energy and money to develop our game and structure it professionally at base level," proposed Valcke.
Ivan Bravo, Director General of Aspire Academy, commented on the event: "The IFA Tokyo Conference is an opportunity for some of the most influential global players in the football world to come together ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and discuss important issues and find realistic and practical solutions. The event will serve as a platform to facilitate ideas and the exchanging of visions, experiences, and expertise."
"The last IFA Roundtable was held in New Delhi, India, and it was extremely successful. Aspire Academy is honored to be a part of IFA Tokyo," Bravo added.
The International Football Arena has been hosting events, fostering debate and inspiring exchange between decision makers in the business of football since 1999.
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About Aspire Academy
Since opening its doors in 2004, Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence has become one of the foremost national sports academies in the world. Working as part of the Aspire Zone Foundation - an international sport destination - Aspire Academy is at the heart of a sporting revolution currently taking place in Qatar and around the region.
The Academy is conceiving, promoting and implementing game-changing excellence in sports training and elite athlete development that is enabling an entire generation of talented, disciplined and committed individuals, both Qataris and internationals to pursue their sports dreams.
In addition to it being one of the world's leading sports institutes, the Aspire Academy seeks to promote an active sporting healthy lifestyle through specific community programs: Aspire Active, Aspire Multisport Skill Development Program, and Aspire Football Dreams. While enriching the lives of people and youth alike, the Aspire Academy has already reached out to over two million young footballers throughout Asia, Latin American and Africa through its programs such as the Aspire Football Dreams.
Together with the other members of the Aspire Zone Foundation (Aspire Logistics and ASPETAR Qatar Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital), the Aspire Academy is developing sports champions, promoting healthy lifestyles and galvanizing the sports economy of today, and the future.
www.aspire.qa
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For further information please contact:
Philippa Innes
Brownlloydjames.com
Email: philippai@bljworldwide.com
Tel: +974 70218251
© Press Release 2012
