DOHA: The International Gymnastics Federation’s (FIG) week-long high performance coaching course in Doha proved to be a hit with young enthusiasts of the sport, FIG Expert Chris Evans said.
Hosted by Qatar Gymnastics Federation (QGF), the FIG course featured 21 coaches from Asian and African countries.
“We were running an FIG Academy coach education programme. The aim was to bring a lot of knowledge from a lot of knowledgeable people to as many coaches as we can,” Evans said yesterday.
“The knowledge is centred around looking after the gymnasts. So that means we try to look after the gymnasts, make sure they recover well from an injury, if they get injured,” he added. “They learn the correct skills at the correct time. It was very much an athlete centred role but we give them a lot of practical coach education. It is a lot of sports science theory that they need,” Evans said.
“We’ve been working with some of the coaches from here and some of them from around the region. We were at the gymnastics hall. We’ve worked with all the participating coaches,” Evans said.
Evans said passing on expert knowledge to newbies was making ripple effect in the world of gymnastics.
“The FIG’s aim is to develop the sport of gymnastics world-wide. So that’s what we are aiming to do. We try to support all the countries that need support and we help them with as much info they need. We are trying to get a common standard for everyone,” Evans said.
“So at the end of the day, all gymnasts are safe and well looked after.
“We promote the sport to the best of our ability,” Evans said
Evans said Qatar was moving ahead in the right direction with young boys leading the way.
“I was here in 2008. That was my first visit then. I’d say men’s gymnasts has come a long way. They have done very well. The women’s game is starting to develop,” Evans said.
“It is not ahead of the men’s game but it is doing incredibly well. They had a competitor at the World Championships. Qatar gymnastics can improved further, definitely,” he added.
“They are developing more gymnastics training centers in Qatar. There are three centers at the moment. The more centres they have, the better gymnasts they will have. They have got very good resources particularly on the sports medicine side and the sports science side and that’s very good from our view point,” the Briton explained.
“These courses - there are three levels and this was level 2. This is geared for high performance. We also do a foundation’s course that offers basic info. We are trying to develop high level of gymnastics here and in many other countries.
“It is fair to say that at the World Championships in Glasgow - there were a lot more gymnasts than ever before. There were 560 gymnasts at the 2014 worlds. A lot of gymnasts now come from nations you wouldn’t expect. Some of the South American countries and the Middle East nations are beginning to produce gymnasts.
“I think a Qatari gymnast came 40th on the pommels. That doesn’t sound very good but 40th in the world on the pommels is actually surprisingly good. I would be very proud of that,” Evans added.
When asked to comment about Qatar hosting the 48th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in 2018, Evans said he ‘had no worries’.
“I am sure Qatar will do a brilliant job (hosting 2018 worlds). Glasgow was an excellent worlds. We go to Montreal in 2016. Am sure Qatar will do a wonderful job. I say that because of the resources Qatar is happy to put into sports and present it to the world,” Evans said.
“I have no fear that they won’t do a good job. Gymnastics is continuing to develop at the global stage. At the Olympic stage, there are two most watch events - one is the men’s 100m and then the women’s gymnastics final. There’s a huge market in north America and in Asia,” he added.
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