ENP Athletes meet with Minister for Sport and Recreation

  • Minister for Sport with athletes
  • Channel 10 footage

The 11 Emerging Nations Programme (ENP) athletes have arrived and they are fit, enthusiastic and excited about the third ENP Intensive Training Session!

The talented group of international sailors begin their first on-water sailing session this afternoon (February 9) from Fremantle Sailing Club, under the guidance of ENP Head Coaches Belinda Stowell (2000 Sydney Olympic Gold Medallist) and Arthur Brett (2008 Beijing Olympic Coach of the Australian Sailing Team).

They started their day with a visit from the Minister for Sport and Recreation Hon Terry Waldron MLA, who met with the ENP coaches and athletes at the Royal Perth Yacht Club - Fremantle Annexe.

Perth 2011 Event Director John Longley welcomed the guests, including ISAF Events Manager Alastair Fox, who recently flew in from the United Kingdom.   

The Minister expressed strong support for the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships and for the Perth 2011 Emerging Nations Programme.

The Minister spoke with each of the athletes, taking the time to learn more about their sailing backgrounds.

The 11 athletes participating at this training session are - Anna Aile, of Latvia, Rohini Rau, of India, Qasim Abbas, of Pakistan, Dany Stanisic, of Serbia, Nik Ashraf, of Malaysia, Nicolas Lozano, of Colombia, Alex Zimmerman, of Peru, Howard Chang, of Chinese Taipei, Peter Henry, of The Cook Islands, Alexandr Denisiuc, of Moldova and Andrew Lewis, of Trinidad and Tobago.

Alex Zimmerman, of Peru, is the only athlete from the group who has never trained in Perth before.    

During the three-week programme, which includes on and off the water sessions, they will learn more about the skills and mindset required to win at international and potentially Olympic level.