Sport Day will inspire new generation, says al-Attiyah

Sports Reporter/Doha

Multi-talented Olympic medallist and rallying legend Nasser al-Attiyah drew attention with his multiple appearances across Qatar on National Sport Day, which he said would inspire a whole new generation of sportsmen and women.

“I fully supported the National Sport Day celebrations. We in Qatar are privileged to have a special day dedicated to sports. It was fantastic to see all those families going out and celebrating sports,” al-attiyah said in an interaction with the media yesterday.

“I saw many children practicing various sports at the Sport Zone and in other places and I sensed that many people will add sports to their ordinary life. I trust a new generation of sport-friendly youngsters will soon rise.”

Al-Attiyah opened his day by participating at the VIP Walk. He later had a few shots on a basketball court in Sport Zone and ended his busy National Sport Day experience at a traditional hunting event in Al Galail, close to Qatar’s border with Saudi Arabia. 

“People from different ethnicities and ages reached me, they wanted to take pictures with me, ask me questions. I enjoy being a role model for the society, to inspire young people to love and follow sports. I have been involved in the sport business for 20 years, I learned many things and I always love to share parts of my experience with the people.”

42-year-old Al-Attiyah has been pretty successful in both shooting and motor sport. Apart from the bronze he snatched in London in his fifth Olympic appearance, he has also won many medals in other international competitions, but worldwide he is better-known for his 2011 Dakar Rally triumph.

“All the things I did, I did them for Qatar. His Highness the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani supports me and I am always willing to honour that trust. I want to send to the world the message that Qatar is capable of accomplishing great things and sports is the best way to promote this aspiration.

“That’s why I compete in the WRC with the Qatar M-Sport Rally Team along with the Qatar World Rally Team and the Qatar Red Bull Team, which races at the Dakar Rally. Our main aim is to put Qatar into Motorsport’s map.”

After the Olympic bronze, many people assumed that Nasser completed his Olympic dream, but Qatar’s great is still hungry for success and sets his next target:

“The gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games is really important for me. I will surely reduce my motor racing and go down from 18 races to six or seven.

It is not easy to do two totally different sports simultaneously. I always make my plan for next season in December and pick the target that is most important for my country.

“At Olympic years I concentrate in shooting, like I did before the 2012 Olympic Games. I took part in five different pre-Olympic events, I found my rhythm and I was sure that the Olympic medal would be mine.”

When asked which of the two sports he likes most, Nasser Al-Attiyah replies:

“The good thing is that when I am getting bored with the one sport, I concentrate on the other. If you ask me now, I prefer shooting. In rallying I have my own team but the Olympics… I really enjoy being a part of the Olympic team, I like the atmosphere, the whole set up.”