Aspire Sports Turf

Aspire Sports Turf (AST) was developed as part of the Aspire Zone Foundations (AZF) vision to become the reference in sports excellence worldwide by 2020. Linked in partnership with the STRI Group, Aspire Sports Turf will act as the Centre of Excellence for natural sports turf Research & Development, Construction, Management, and Education, servicing sports facilities within Qatar and the Middle East.

Services

With AST’s core basis of having staff that have multiple years of experience in both the Middle East and around the world at the highest level. AST are able to provide the most comprehensive and independent turf consultancy in the Middle East. In addition, AST’s links back to the world renowned STRI Group allows AST to gain access to some of the most up-to-date and proven information available on turf on the turf market which can be fed back to our customers.

Research & Development

Having strong links to the highly reputable turf research programme run by the STRI Group in the UK, Australia and USA, AST are able to provide a variety of turf related research services to customers in Qatar and the Middle East. With many of the necessary testing facilities and maintenance services established at our R&D Centre, AST are well place to provide turf based research across Qatar and Middle East.

Design & Project Management

With significant development happening across Qatar and the Middle East currently, the establishment of well designed and built turf sites used for Sports and Leisure is the key to their longevity and effectives. AST can provide full design and project management services for any Turf surfaces ensuring all needs and requirements of the site are managed to achieve the best possible outcome.

Turf Management

The management of a Turf Surface in order to achieve the highest standard of performance can only be considered an art. AST’s team of experienced Turf Manages can provide any venue with the necessary site specific management programmes and management supervision in order to achieve the desired results.

Event Management

During events a turf surface quality and longevity can significantly impact the final outcome of an associated event. AST are able to work with event management teams to provide planning and execution services for the turf surface which are compatible with overall event programmes.

Training

In line with AST commitment to improving Qatar’s Turf Management capabilities as part of the State readiness for 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™, AST has developed specialized Turf Management Training Programmes. The Training Programmes primarily focus on providing education into the areas of Turf Maintenance, Turf Construction and Turf Repair. Each area is broken down into a variety of levels and topics that provide trainees the necessary knowledge to aid them in their daily roles managing turf surface in Qatar. AST offered its first course in December 2017 and as of May 2018, seven local contractors with a total of 78 participants are trained. More trainings and participants are expected to be certified within this year.

Turf Farm

Looking towards the FIFA 2022 World Cup Qatar TM and beyond, there is a requirement to have high quality turf repair services available throughout the operational lives of the match and training venues. AST’s onsite turf farm provides a valuable resource for the establishment of robust management and training systems that can be utilised for the roll out of the overall turf repair strategy for these venues.

Projects

Full Design and Project Management Services for Irrigation Upgrade

CLIENT
Al Sadd Football Club

WORKS PERIOD
Works completed June 2016

Full Design and Project Management Services for Irrigation Upgrade

Completed the irrigation upgrade of Al Sadd Stadium main pitch, the works where completed 100% within 2 weeks of actual site works. The contract was the first of its kind where it enabled the department and awarded contractor in an agreement whereby all materials had to be onsite prior to start of works. The irrigation installed is the first of its kind in Doha, whereby each sprinkler is Individually Controlled, the system is very common in major stadia worldwide.

Specialist Turf Management Consultancy

CLIENT
Ministry of Culture of Sport

WORKS PERIOD
Commenced July 2016 (ongoing)

Specialist Turf Management Consultancy

Aspire Sports Turf have been engaged by the Ministry of Culture and Sports to take on full Turf Management responsibility associated with the uplift the local Turf Maintenance and Playing Standards in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ Qatar. AST currently oversee the eight 1st Grade Stadiums Main Pitches providing robust turf management consultancy offering in surface performance testing, site supervising, pitch usage management, maintenance and renovation supervision and technical scopes for pitch constructions and on-site training.

Turf Management Design and Delivery Consultancy for the 2022 FIFA World Cup QatarTM

CLIENT
Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC)

WORKS PERIOD
Ongoing from November 2016

Turf Management Design and Delivery Consultancy for the 2022 FIFA World Cup QatarTM

AST partnered with the SC Technical Delivery Office as their Subject Matter Experts for all Sports Turf related activities relating to the development for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™. As part of Stage 1 works, AST are working alongside SC staff to guide and develop Turf Logistics plans for the successful execution of the Tournament with input into topics such as Research, Pitch Design, Turf Management, Tournament Operation and Contractor Training.

AST Research & Development Centre

CLIENT
Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC)

WORKS PERIOD
Commenced May 2016 (ongoing)

AST Research & Development Centre

With an eye to having an established and bespoke research facility for the start of the contract with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, AST designed and established the AST R&D Centre at the edge of the Aspire Zone Foundation site. The R&D Centre has two dedicated areas with Scientific R&D taking place towards the Signature Pitch and Turf Maintenance Programmes in one area, while the other area provides a Turf Farm resource for the ongoing development works into Turf Repair Methods. Both sites are currently fully operational with ongoing R&D works taking place.

Full Planning and Delivery of Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium Returf

CLIENT
Al Sadd Football Club & Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy

WORKS PERIOD
11-14 June 2016

Full Planning and Delivery of Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium Returf

Successfully organized and oversaw a full pitch re-turfing exercise using big roll warm season turf, a first for Qatar into a Stadium venue. The total turfed area of the pitch was 8,050 m2, and the re-turfing utilized big roll turf at approximately 13m per roll taken from the AST R&D Centre. The re-turf operation was successfully carried out in just over 14 ½ hours, and was under the desired timescale of 16 hours set by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

Turf Management of Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium

CLIENT
Al Sadd Football Club

WORKS PERIOD
Commenced February 2015 (ongoing)

Turf Management of Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium

With the redevelopment of Khalifa Stadium at Aspire Zone, the Turf Management team from this Stadium were relocated their services to the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. On their arrival at the site it was immediately noticeable that constant re-turfing of the southern shaded end was required, soil moisture levels were highly variable across the surface and high usage was resulting in regular damage. AST staff implemented a new maintenance plan focusing on utilizing more effective management practices, and incorporated new technologies relating to Pitch Grow Lights, Pitch Fans, a new Irrigation systems and a new grass species. Since input from the AST, the overall turf health and performance factors of the pitch has dramatically improved, as well as a major reduction in the regularity of turfing required in the southern end.

STAFF

Ewen Hodge

Senior Sports Field Consultant

With a strong interest in all sports and a background of working on Golf Courses in New Zealand, Ewen completed a Bachelor of Applied Science majoring in Landscape Management. This lead to a role in Sports Field Design, Project Management and Consultancy in Auckland, New Zealand working with many of the Local Councils and National Stadia. Upon moving to the UK to work with the STRI Group as a Project Manager and Consultant, Ewen developed strong working relationships with several top end Football Clubs and Organizations. During his time with the STRI Group, Ewen took part in seven international FIFA Tournaments across various locations, with himself taking on the Main Turf Delivery Role during events in the U.A.E in 2013, Costa Rica in 2014 and the Rio Olympic Games in 2016. Ewen moved to Qatar in 2015 with the STRI Group initially working on the construction team of the Qatar International Golf Course, and later picking up the technical delivery and project management for the construction of AST R&D Centre during the development of the JV, eventually joining the AST team fulltime in October 2016.

Carlos Sartoretto

Research Manager / Sports Field Consultant

Carlos graduated with a Bachelor of Agronomic Engineering from Federal University in Brazil which which included a significant portion of agronomic research and trial setup and management as part of the studies. Following on from University, his practical experience in Sports Turf Management developed from many turf construction and maintenance positions working in Golf Courses in Europe and America. In Federal University, Carlos completed the highly regarded educational program for Turf Managers at the Ohio State University in the USA, where again he spent much time on the associated trials areas. Originally from Brazil, Carlos’s desire to be a part nations hosting of some of the biggest sporting events in the world was a major draw card to relocate home. He joined STRI in 2012 to be their only full time Consultant based in Brazil and acted as a Turf Consultant to FIFA in the lead up to and during all 2013 Confederations Cup, 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Rio Olympics, while also providing similar services to many similar age group tournaments across the Americas. Carlos came to join the AST team early in 2017 to help deliver AST Research programme, as well as provide extensive experience as a turf consultant to major events.

Matthew Walton

Sports field Consultant

Originally from the UK, Matthew started with the STRI Group in 2009 as part of the Research Plots Turf Management Team. Matthew developed keen interest in Turf Management along with the intricacies of constructing and managing turf plots for the purposes of research. During this period at STRI Matthews skills in the areas of data collection developed and he became a key member of the STRI team that annually travelled to the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships each year to carry out the performance testing on each court before each days play. Matthew was also regularly involved in the restoration of the 2012 London Olympic Games Equestrian track located in Greenwich Park. Matthew relocated to Qatar in September 2015 to provide specialist construction management for the AST R&D Centre on behalf of the STRI Group, and eventually joining the AST team fulltime in October 2016.

Adrian Black

Head of Landscape at Aspire Logistics

Adrian is a Sport Turf and Landscape professional from Australia. Adrian has moved in between the turf / landscape industry for the past 21 years, working in various levels from sports turf positions to landscape positions, with holding degree’s in both categories. Prior to Doha, Qatar Adrian worked on the major stadium complex within Sydney Australia (SCG and Sydney Sport Ground Trust). Via this period Adrian gained knowledge and experience in turf management by being a part of the team which delivered consistently international standards turf for the following sports played out of the combined facilities (Test Cricket, One Day International Cricket, AFL, Rugby Union, NRL, Football etc. ). To gain experience in all aspects of the Turf Management/Landscape industry Adrian went abroad in 2006 and joined Aspire Logistics whereby through the site of Aspire Zone and diverse organization of Aspire Zone and its entities Adrian as enhance and gained more experience in Turf Management/ Landscape via working on the unique range of projects that exist within Aspire Logistics such as importing large trees into Doha, to assisting with the Turf Management team for Aspire Logistics and AST.

Contact Us

Aspire Logistics
P.O. Box: 23833
Doha, Qatar
+974 4413 7921
ast.info@aspirelogistics.qa

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