Retravision Warriors Coach Tom Moody endorsed the Perth 2011 Emerging Nations Programme (ENP) at the WACA Ground today. “It is fantastic to see young athletes given the opportunity to realise their potential,” Moody said.
The official announcement of the second ENP Training Programme was held at the WACA Ground this morning with ENP Head Coach Belinda Stowell and Event Director John Longley in attendance. Despite this being an important Retravision Warriors squad training session in preparation for the Ford Ranger Cup Game against NSW tomorrow, players and coaching staff made time to meet with the international athletes. The ENP athletes and coaches will be attending tomorrow's cricket match as guests of the WACA. Perth 2011 is grateful to the Western Australian Cricket Association for their support of international sailing.
Implemented as a world first sailing initiative in July 2009, the Perth 2011 Emerging Nations Programme is already showing promise in identifying international sailing talent, increasing these elite athletes' sailing skills and knowledge and assisting them on their way to success. Participants in the second intensive Emerging Nations Programme Training Session, Dany Stanisic, of Serbia, and Alexandr Denisiuc, of Moldova, have shown Perth's best that when they compete, they race to win. The international Laser sailors won Silver and Bronze Medals respectively at the 2009 Royal Perth Yacht Club Mini Series, on the weekend.
This ENP Session, which started on Saturday and runs till 11th December 2009, is the second of seven intensive Training Programmes being held in the lead up to the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships. Eleven athletes, from the developing sailing nations of Moldova, Latvia, India,
Pakistan, Serbia, Malaysia, Colombia, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda, were invited to Perth as part of the second Emerging Nations Programme Intensive Training Session. These 11 athletes are on the brink of qualifying at Olympic level, but due to limitations in their home nations have not yet reached their potential.
Under the guidance of Head Coaches Belinda Stowell (2000 Sydney Olympic Games Gold Medallist) and Arthur Brett (2008 Beijing Olympic Games Sailing Coach) these elite athletes have taken on the challenge to be the best they can be – aiming to qualify for Perth 2011 and potentially their nation for the 2012 London Olympic Games!
“These athletes will work hard over the next couple of weeks at gym sessions, on water training and learning about what it takes to compete against the best in the world. They will then go home and put what they have learnt into practice. Without this sort of support they have little chance of making it to the Olympic Games,” said ENP Head Coach Arthur Brett.
As part of the Training Programme, the ENP athletes will be competing against Perth's best in the inaugural Emerging Nations Programme Regatta, which will be held on Bathers Bay in Fremantle on the weekend on the 5th- 6th December, 2009. Expect action and excitement as they compete in the famous sea breeze, the Fremantle Doctor.
The first Emerging Nations Programme Training Session, held in July-August 2009, has also proved its merit, with two of the participants of the first Training Session – Helema Williams and Peter Henry, both of the Cook Islands, victorious at the recent Pacific Mini Games 2009, with respective Gold and Bronze Medal success. “Helema and Peter's success at the event was a great boost to all of us involved with
the Emerging Nations Programme,” said ENP Head Coach Belinda Stowell.
