Most sports people excel in their sport of choice and tend to stick to that particular sport only. Not Nasser Al Attiyah! He has shown the world that it’s possible to be good at more than one sport simultaneously and gain success in both, making him a unique sportsman. This Qatari sportsman was born on 21 December 1970 and today is a champion Qatari racer and shooter. Quite an impressive lineup by Al Attiyah, of wins and trophies, but that doesn’t means he’s satisfied. This 48-year-old racer has his adrenaline pumping and is gearing up for more wins with his eyes on many more such trophies.
Attiyah is well-known on the local and international racing circuit, and among the shooting circles. He has won the Dakar Rally three times, has been the champion of the FIA Cross Country Rally four times, champion of the WRC2 two times, champion of the Middle East Rally 14 times, Production Car World Rally Champion once, and most recently the 2019 Silk Way Rally.
Al Attiyah excelled in the world of clay pigeon shooting, finishing the 2004 Olympic Games in fourth place and in the 2008 Olympic Games, he finished in 15th-place overall. It was in the Olympic Games of 2012 that he hit the big time in men's skeet shooting and came home with a bronze medal.
Al Attiyah has partnered with Red Bull and together with his French co-driver and navigator Mathieu Baumel steered towards victory many a time, the most recent win being the 2019 Silk Way Rally which saw the duo driving 5,000 kilometres through the tough terrains of Russia, Mongolia and China setting the fastest time on all nine of the timed special stages along the way.
Al Attiyah has been conferred the nickname of ‘Pride of Qatar’ and lives up to his name. Al Attiyah has always made his home country Qatar proud and promises to continue making a name all over the world with his top-class racing skills and his sharp shooting skills. Along with being a sportsman, he is an avid advocate of both physical and mental fitness is a firm believer that concentration, working hard and thinking like a winner are important to succeed in what you do.
When Al Attiyah was younger, he was impressed by Finnish champion drivers - Ari Vatanen and Juha Kankkunen – and dreamed to be just like them. Though it wasn’t easy, Al Attiyah eventually made his dream come true in 1999 when he started his career as a racer and through hard, word, dedication, perseverance, today, he is one of the big names in rally car racing.
Being a rally race driver comes with its demands, requiring calculation and preparation. Al-Attiyah is always adapting to be one step ahead of the competition. From coordinating with his team of experts to eating healthy and staying in shape, the master of dunes is always on track.
Al Attiyah is one of the longest serving Olympians in the world, and wrote history in 2015 by being the first rally racer to win four titles in one year. As a three time Dakar rally winner, Al Attiyah is the only sportsman from the Middle East to have won this prestigious rally.
When Al Attiyah is not racing to victory in his racing car, he likes to drive around town in a limited edition Bentley Super sports car. Despite racing and shooting, being his first loves, he also enjoys playing tennis and sky diving when he can.
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