nce the population in Qatar is small the identification of talents at an early age is important and therefore we cooperate with schools and sports federations; we also have Multi-sport Skills Development Centers across Qatar to promote sports and prepare talented youths before they reach the appropriate age to be considered for the Academy.
In Football we conduct scouting in the clubs and schools as well as having our own Talent Centres, then Feeder Groups, that start working with the boys at a very early stage as well, but, of course, only the best young Qatari athletes and footballers receive scholarships to join Aspire. In 2014, the results from our football program were promising, including the fact that all players of the Qatari U-19 football national team that won the AFC-U19 Championship in Myanmar, and qualified for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand, were past or current students of Aspire Academy. It is, of course, one of the longer term goals of the Academy that some of our graduates will represent Qatar at the FIFA World Cup 2022.
In the Olympic and other sports, we are also achieving international success. Our graduate Mutaz Essa Barshim, a world class high jumper from Qatar, is the current World Champion and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist.