Qatar’s squash star Tamimi says he’s using the break to recover & be ready
Positivity and looking forward in such situations is the key. 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 the same way
Abdulla al Tamimi
Abdullah advises all to stay at home to be safe ABDULLA al Tamimi is not only Qatar’s top-ranked squash player but he’s also one of the driving forces of the country’s sporting ambitious.
With the coronavirus pandemic taking its toll on sport even as the world seeks to contain it, many countries are still locked up with people forced to stay in their homes to avoid contracting or spreading of COVID-19 disease.
The World No. 32 Tamimi supports the government’s directive for citizens and residents to stay at home as a preventive measure to curb the spread of coronavirus. The squash star shared his thoughts on how the sporting world has been affected by the unprecendented lockdown, his training ideas for residents who want to stay fit at home, and positive tips for coming out of this impasse.
Tamimi says Qatari citizens and residents must abide the rules of staying at home: “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 coronavirus spread across the nation and help cure the affected cases. We should all follow everything our government recommends for our safety, security, and well being.
“Because this virus is a very serious threat and is not a joke. We can see the amount of confirmed and active infected cases on the rise almost every day so we have to do whatever it takes to stop the transmission of the disease.”
Describing his daily selfquarantine routine and how he spends his time at home, he said, “Looking at the positive side of it, I see it as a break gifted to me by God. I have 14 days to cover fasting from last Ramadan when I needed to be on heavy training and was 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.”
Advising residents on how to maintain fitness drills at home, the 26-year old said: “It is very important to keep working on your well being in such times and try to stay fit, even while at home. There are a lot of body weight 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.
“I like to play “keram” traditions at home with the family. This is something we are doing these days. We absolutely love it! We also spend time playing cards and some other activities with the kids. I am sure you’ll like if you can try it.”
Speaking on how he will maintain his shape in the absence of competition, the Qatari athlete said: “I’m kind of lucky it was almost the end of the season for squash. We still have three or four more tournaments left so I don’t think it affects 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 as summer break already.
“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 to their usual life. This is out of the sporting 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.”
Evaluating the implications and cost of recent postponed or cancelled sporting events, Tamimi said: “The virus has forced the whole world to slow down and pause. This is affecting a lot of sponsors and people who put a big investment into sports. 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 the 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 the same way.”