File photo of Qatar's top-ranked squash player Abdulla Al Tamimi
Doha: Qatar's top ranked squash player Abdulla Al Tamimi says he considers the current global situation a 'test' and will be ready to move on and come back stronger once the coronavirus pandemic is over.
"The virus has forced the whole world to slow down and pause. However, as athletes, we need to keep going and be ready for the competitions to come back stronger anytime. I will be ready to move on and forget about this virus. I look at this situation as a test and I will do my best to pass that test. I would advise everyone to look at it this way," the 25-yearold Aspire graduate said during an interview. Here are some excerpts from the interview.
Q: People have been advised to remain at home amidst the coronavirus lockdown, are you complying with the rules and what your thoughts?
A: We should all definitely comply with the rules issued by the Qatari Government and stay at home, if that’s what it takes to put an end to the Coronavirus spread across the nation and help cure the affected cases. We should all follow everything our government recommending for our safety, security, and wellbeing.
Q: Describe your day in self quarantine. What is your daily routine and how are you investing this time at home in something positive?
A: Looking at the positive side of it, I see it as a break gifted to me from god above. I have 14 days to cover fasting from last Ramadan back then when I needed to be on heavy training and constantly travelling for competitions. Now is a good time to invest in recovering these days. I’m also spending a lot more time with the family as I’m always away so. I’m loving it.
Q: What is your advice to residents living in Qatar on how to maintain fitness drills at home?
A: It’s very important to still work on your wellbeing in such times and try to stay fit, even if at home. There are a lot of exercises we can do to keep fit. These would only take 20 minutes of your time to include squats, lunges, jumps, and running sprints in the safe environment of your own home. These can substitute being locked out of the gym for the time being.
Q: Since athletes need international competitions to stay in top form, what will you do stay in good form without competition?
A: I'm kind of lucky it was almost the end of the season for squash. We still have 3 or 4 more tournaments left so I don’t think it effects a lot as we can just call it an early off season where we normally have few weeks off anyway. If you think positive you can just keep training.
Q: Esports is becoming more popular as people observe the stay at home call to curb the covid-19 spread, Can you share some games that you are playing, and you would recommend for the audience during this period?
A:I play lots of video games on PlayStation. I also play carrom, cards and do some tricks and stuff online and challenge others and keep active all the time.
Q: Is the current period affecting athletes more or other people and how?
A: This current period is affecting us all on all levels. However, athletes I guess are more trained to deal with injuries and extremely tough situations that might be career threatening and imposes sudden change on their usual life. This is out of the sportive experiences. We have learned to adapt faster. We will come out of this phase all of us and beat the virus. This a challenge that we all have to face and we will overcome it.
Q: Lots of big milestones await you this year in competitions. How do you evaluate the current situation amidst all the cancellations and postponement? And what is the effect on sports globally?
A: The virus has forced the whole world to slow down and pause. This case is affecting a lot of sponsors and people who have invested a lot in sport. The same goes for us athletes. However, as athletes, we need to keep going and be ready for the competitions to come back stronger anytime. I will be ready to move on and forget about this virus. Positivity and looking forward in such situations is key, and as I said earlier, I look at this situation as a test and I will do my best to pass that test. I would advise everyone to look at it this way.
Q: How does the current situation affect your training schedule and the preparations to be ready for your bog milestones this year, especially after the strong start you had in the World Championship?
A: I’ve been playing really well this season especially since October... The current situation definitely breaks the good momentum, but this is not just in my case. The impact is on all athletes and the whole world. I will come back stronger than before I promise. Sometimes you need the break to come back even more keen than before to achieve your goals.
