Do you remember the "2 minutes with" Abdulla Al Tamimi video we did with Qatar's champion squash player and Red Bull Qatar athlete? Check out how he maintains his daily work out sessions in the house during the coronavirus (COVID-19) virus outbreak in Qatar.

People have been advised to remain at home amidst the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown, are you complying with the rules and what your thoughts?

Abdulla Al Tamimi: 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 well-being.

Why should everyone pay close attention to Qatar government's advisory on staying at home at a time like this?

Abdulla Al Tamimi: 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.

Do you think the change in daily habits due to coronavirus (COVID-19) will affect the people’s behaviour even after the lockdown is resolved?

Abdulla Al Tamimi: it depends on who we are dealing with here. I think with athletes it will be easier to adjust to the changes, given we sometimes pass through way worse than that but people whom never had those things before might be a bit worried more than us athletes.

Describe your day in self quarantine, what is your daily routine and how are you investing this time at home in something positive?

Abdulla Al Tamimi: 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.

What is your advice to residents living in Qatar on how to maintain fitness drills at home?

Abdulla Al Tamimi: It’s very important to still work on your well-being in such times and try to stay fit, even if at home. There are a lot of body weights Exercises we can do to keep fit. These would only take 20 mins 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.

What other activities are you engaged in at home that you would like to share with your fans?

Abdulla Al Tamimi: I like to play "Carom" 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.

Since athletes need international competition to stay in top form, what will you do stay in good form without competition?

Abdulla Al Tamimi: 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 as summer break already.

Esports is becoming more popular as people observe the stay at home call to curb the coronavirus (COVID-19) spread, Share some games that you are playing, and you would recommend for the audience during this period?

Abdulla Al Tamimi: I play lots of video PlayStation. I also play Carom, cards and do some tricks and stuff online and challenge others and keep active all the time.

Is the current period affecting athletes more or other people and how?

Abdulla Al Tamimi: 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.

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?

Abdulla Al Tamimi: The virus has forced the whole continent to slow down and pause. This case is affecting a lot of sponsors and people who put a big investments 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 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.

How does the current situation affect your training schedule and the preparations to be ready for your big milestones this year, specially after the strong start you had in the World Championship?

Abdulla Al Tamimi: I’ve been playing really well this season specially since October... The current situation definitely breaks the good momentum, but this 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.

Details

To know more about this young Qatari champion squash player and Red Bull athlete Abdulla Al Tamimi, check out his social media pages:

Instagram: @abdullahaltamimi
Twitter: @tamimi__94

Follow us on our social media channels: @ILQlive @ILQlive @ILoveQtr ILoveQatar

Nabeela

Content Writer

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