Al Tamimi to lead Qatar’s challenge at 2018 Asian Games

World No. 33 Abdullah Al Tamimi of Qatar in action in this file photo.

By Armstrong Vas I The Peninsula

Doha: World No. 33 Abdullah Al Tamimi along with Abdulwahab Al Ishaq, Hamad Al Amri and Sayed Azlan will lead Qatar’s challenge in squash at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, Yousef Al Malki, Deputy Head of Squash National Teams Committee announced here yesterday.
The quadrennial continental event will take place in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia from August 18 to September 2. Qatar’s will send a strong delegation that will see over 250 athletes participate, including over 40 females, across 30 different sports at one of the multi-sport events in the world.
The 23-year-old Al Tamimi, the first Qatari player to turn professional, will be aiming to carry forward his impressive run at the World Championships and on the PSA World Tour to the Asian Games.
Team Qatar will be looking up to him for a splendid show at the event.
The Qatari, who choose squash over football after playing the game for six years, reached his highest rankings last month. He also made it to the last sixteen of the World Championships in Manchester where he lost to world No. 3 Nick Matthew of England.
“Last year I reach my highest rankings which is 33 out of the 770 in the world. I hope I will reach the world top 10 or 20 within the next 2 to 3 years. My biggest achievement so far has been reaching the last 16 of the world championship in Manchester,” Al Tamimi said recently.
Al Tamimi said he did not have an ideal preparation for the World Championship.
“It was my worst preparation for the championship. I was sick for a week. I did not hold the racquet or get on court. So, I did not train before the competition.
“I first trained in the morning before the match, which was in the afternoon. It was against a player ranked eighth in the world – the German Simon Rosner. But I won the match. I was the first-ever Qatari to win a match in the world championship. The feeling was indescribable. I qualified for the last sixteen, where I played nick Matthew who was ranked third in the world. I lost the match, but it was good game,” he added.
Al Tamimi said making a career choice between squash and football was ‘very difficult’.
“I started squash as a hobby. I also used to play football and used to be my life. I had to make a choice between the two (squash and football). It was a very difficult and challenging decision. There are a lot of football players in Qatar, but few squash players and they mostly play it as a hobby.
“So, I decided that I wanted to become the first Qatari professional squash player. I felt that I had the potential to represent Qatar in international competitions and make our nation proud,” he said.
The right-hander said four-time World Open winner Geoff Hunt from Australia was instrumental in stilling the killer instinct in him.
“Australian coach called Geoff, whom I call ‘the legend’ and whom I now see as my second father, came to me saying that he trusted in my ability to become one of the top 10 players of the world. He said I need to work harder, develop my skills and believe in myself to achieve it. I decided to believe in myself like my coach, my family and friends did,” he added.
Squash he says has changed his outlook towards life.
“Squash has changed my personality a lot. I used to be very shy when speaking to people or when doing interviews. Now I am confident in myself and give my opinion openly,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Qatari U-19 team will participate in the World Youth Squash Championship to be held in India in July this year.
Qatar will be represented by Hamad Al Amri, Rashid Al Hareb, Ibrahim Al Darwish and Ahmad Al Meraikhi.