Sport science in focus in Qatar

The conference - New Approaches for Advancement in Elite Sports - will bring together outstanding experts from around the world to Qatar to exchange ideas and discuss key issues related to youth development in elite sport.

Set to attract delegates from over 80 countries, the event will welcome VIP guests including Luiz Felipe Scolari, former Brazil and current Portugal national team coach, as well as Roger Milla, named as one of the 125 greatest living football players.

It will be the second major Sport Science Conference hosted by ASPIRE and organized by Prof. Dr. Dieter Hackfort, Dean of ASPIRE , a world-famous Sport Scientist and President of the International Society of Sport Psychology.

Developing talented athletes who can compete in elite sports is a global challenge, requiring the creation of talent selection processes as well as high-level support programs to ensure that young talent can sustain productive careers.

Amongst others, Qatar in particular has invested significantly in sporting infrastructure and talent development over the past decade - including the construction of new venues and sporting academies - and the conference provides a strong opportunity to review lessons learned to date.

Papers presented to delegates will examine the processes used to encourage early specialization for young athletes, as well as the advanced technology that is now being deployed for training and development.

Prof. Dr. Dieter Hackfort said: "This conference will bring together some of the leading experts in the field of sport science to discuss new innovations and examine new findings. It presents an important opportunity for specialists to pool their knowledge and also examine the techniques and processes that are helping to improve training and the preparation for competition and to develop the next generation of elite athletes."

Speakers at the conference include Prof. Dr. Jean Cote, of Queen's University of Kingston, Canada; Istvan Balyi, the world renowned coaching educator; Prof. Dr. Thomas Schack of the Bielefeld University, Germany; Prof. Dr. Paul Wylleman, President of the European Federation for Psychology and Physical Activity (FEPSAC); Prof. Dr. Karl Newell from the US and Prof. Dr. Natalia Stambulova, of Halmstad University, Sweden.