Qatar unveils 'Kun Riyadi' programme

The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) in partnership with the Aspire Academy have today announced the completion of “Kun Riyadi” (Be an Athlete]) a unique Athlete Development Pathway (ADP) model that seeks to produce a new generation of Qatari sporting champions.
The three-year project involved the input of multiple stakeholders, sporting entities and world-class sport development experts from the Aspire Academy to create a framework unique for Qatar.
Commenting on the ADP, President of the QOC, H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, said:
“Producing world-class Qatari sporting champions is a fundamental part of Qatar’s vision for sport. While Qatar has made considerable progress on the sporting field in recent years, highlighted by our three silver medals in the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer, we are keen to build on this success and continue to increase the performance of our athletes across a wider range of sports.
The ADP is a robust framework that will enable Qatar to be fully unified in our approach to identifying, developing and nurturing talented athletes at every stage of their career, from early childhood to post-retirement, enabling them to reach their full potential. It is the first of its kind in the MENA region and is another example of how Qatar is always striving to break new ground in the development of sport at every level. We are very excited to see the outcome and we look forward to a bright future for sporting excellence in Qatar.”
Speaking about the project, Ivan Bravo, Director General of Aspire Academy, said: “The success of the “Be an Athlete” project is a tangible, practical and operational outcome of our long-standing cooperation with the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) under the guidance of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. We are thankful to the QOC for entrusting the Academy with this critical initiative.  "Our team of world-class experts from the sports department, in collaboration with colleagues from across the Academy teamed up with our partners from the QOC and Qatar sports federations to implement this remarkable initiative. The Qatar ADP is a five-stage model that provides a comprehensive framework for developing skills at critical periods in athlete’s development.
The ADP was developed following a review of talent development frameworks in several successful sporting nations and involved the input of international experts from a variety of sports to ensure its sports talent development efforts are successful and unique to Qatar.
The framework includes 39 sport specific models, each tailored to enable optimum development within different sports and disciplines, including para-sport and women in sport.
The development of the ADP included the consultation of all national federations, and multiple Qatari government departments and stakeholders to ensure that everyone involved in its delivery is optimally working towards a shared vision where athletes can learn, develop and thrive.