Even before the first medals are handed out at every major sporting event, one athlete from every country is entitled to a rare honour – the honour of carrying the national flag at the opening ceremony.
It’s a privilege that finds a mention in the annals of a nation’s history and it’s accorded after great thought and deliberation.
This time, Qatar have chosen squash player Abdulla al-Tamimi, who recently won the Malaysian Open title and broke into the top-30, for the honour at the opening ceremony of Asian Games on Saturday.
“Abdulla al-Tamimi will bear the Qatar national flag during the opening ceremony on Saturday,” Chef-de-Mission Ishaq al-Hashimi told the Gulf Times yesterday. “He was a natural choice considering his recent achievements.”
The Malaysian Open title, his fifth so far, was also his biggest victory on the PSA World Tour. He defeated Hong Kong number two Fung Yip in five games in the final.
Al-Tamimi, 23, took to squash in his early teens, and was world number one on the World Squash Federation’s under-19 circuit in 2012.
At the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, al-Tamimi was beaten in five games in the quarter-finals by Malaysia’s Max Lee, who went on to win a bronze medal.
Legendary Australian squash player Geoff Hunt was effusive in his praise for al-Tamimi after his Malaysian Open triumph.
“Apart from being an exceptional player, Abdulla is a fantastic role model for the students (of Aspire Academy). He understands the game thoroughly, from technique to tactics and he also enjoys helping people,” Hunt had said, adding that he is having a positive influence on the Aspire students.
“He has already influenced and motivated a number of the squash student athletes positively through his squash results, his presence at training, and his coaching advice,” added Hunt.
Immediately after al-Tamimi had won the Malaysian title he had expressed his intention to make his mark at the Asian Games.
And Hunt, too, believes, his best years are ahead of him.
“I have seen a big improvement in Abdulla’s performance in many areas over the last 12 months and I think this will continue over the next few years.
“By then, I believe he will be challenging the world’s best. It would be nice to see squash included in the Paris Olympics (2024) and I believe Abdulla will be at or near his peak by then.”
Hunt’s assessment comes from his belief that squash players are usually at the peak of their powers by the time they are 30.
Al-Tamimi was yet to arrive in Jakarta yesterday as members of Qatar’s 222-athlete delegation had been busy training for the Asian Games in various parts of the world.
However, the squash event is already in the spotlight at the Asian Games because of the participation, probably for the last time, of Malaysian superstar Nicol David.
One of the greatest women players of all time, David, 34, will be aiming for her fifth gold medal at the continental event, 20 years after taking the stage by storm by winning her first as a 14-year-old.
Now ranked ninth in the world rankings, she has won the World Open title a whopping eight times, winning each time she reached the final.
The squash tournament will begin on August 23.
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