‘Excellence awards are great motivation for us athletes’

Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al-Thani and Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, the QOC secretary general, with the winners after the Sport Excellence Day ceremony in Katara yesterday.

By Mikhil Bhat/Doha

The ceremony, held at Katara Cultural Village, saw various federations, teams, schools, athletes, junior athletes, being commended for their achievements over the years.

Al-Attiyah and Barshim ensured that the London extravaganza was the most successful Olympic Games for Qatar, with both winning a bronze — in skeet and high jump events respectively.

Barshim told Gulf Times, “This award will definitely encourage me to do more. It serves as a great motivation for me and also the other athletes who have won.”

The two stayed together in London and Barshim said al-Attiyah’s experience inspired him. “He is like my elder brother. We both have won Olympic bronze but he definitely has more experience and I take inspiration from him.”

Al-Attiyah was all praise for Barshim too: “He is a very active guy, young, while I have a lot of experience. I have competed in five Olympic Games. We used to talk a lot at the Olympics. And he is a clever guy, kept asking me a lot of things.

“I just told him that you have only one target, which is to push the maximum and everything else will follow. And he has shown the people his potential having won the bronze medal and he won the gold in Shanghai recently. This is a great, great step for him.”

The 21-year-old was beaten at the IAAF Diamond League Doha event by Bohdan Bondarenko for the gold on May 10. Barshim, however, won the Shanghai meet on Saturday on count-back equaling the meet record of 2.33m.

“He beat me here I beat him there so we are equal but that is not the idea,” he said. “The whole season is left ahead of me and I want to give it my best in all of them.”

When asked what his goal for the season is, Barshim, whose coach Stanislaw Szczyrba was also adjudged as Season’s Best Foreign Coach at yesterday’s ceremony, said: “The goal this year is definitely to stay healthy and also win the gold in Moscow (World Championships).” Seeing Szczyrba approaching, he quipped, “For now, I am looking forward to a cake.”

Al-Attiyah, meanwhile, has his eyes set on a gold medal in Brazil. “It will be the sixth one for me in Brazil. I will do my best to get the gold medal,” he said.

Al-Attiyah, who won the 2006 Production World Rally Championship, eight Middle East Rally Championships and the 2011 Dakar Rally, said while it is the second time he has been adjudged as the season’s best athlete, the value has not diminished one bit.

“I have won a lot of medals, have a lot of achievements, but I am really happy with the award and to be here today. Last three years, because of racing and shooting, I had not been able to attend the ceremony but I am so happy to be here with all the other athletes,” he said.

He hoped that these awards and Qatar’s Olympic success encourages young athletes.

List of awardees

Appreciation Award for Characters who Served Sports Movement: Abdulah al-Zaini (Ex-President of the Qatar Athletics Federation) and Abdulaziz bin Khalifa al-Attiyah (Ex-President of the Qatar Billiard and Snooker Federation); Sport first  Supporter Award (Government Bodies): Al Rayyan Channel; Sport first  Supporter Award (Companies): Exxon Mobil and Seashore Group; Appreciation Award For Best National Company in Executing Sport Projects: Al Balagh Trading & Contracting Company; Golden Federation Award: Qatar Athletics Federation, Qatar Shooting and Archery Federation; Ideal Federation Award: Qatar Sailing and Rowing Federation; Sports Creativity Award: Doha Goals Forum; Distinctive School Award at Schools Olympic Program: Model Stage : Khalifa Model School, Primary Stage-Boys: Tunisian Private School, Primary Stage-Girls: Qatar Independent Primary Schools for Girls, Preparatory Stage-Boys: Hamza bin Abdulmotaleb Independent Preparatory School For Boys, Preparatory Stage-Girls: Amna bin Wahb Independent Preparatory School For Girls , Secondary Stage-Boys: Jassim bin Hamad Independent Secondary School, Secondary Stage-Girls: Raba’a Al-Adawiya Independent Secondary School For Girls; Season National Team Award (Men): Qatar Men’s Junior Handball Team, Qatar Men’s Youth Handball Team; Season National Team Award (Women): Qatar Women Basketball Team; Season Team Award (Clubs): Al-Rayyan Handball Team, Al-Arabi Volleyball Team; Season Best Athlete Award: Mutaz Essa Barshim, Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah; Season Best Athlete Award (women): Bahya al-Hamad; Season Best Athlete Award –Juniors: Ashraf Amjad Mohammad al-Saifi; Season Best Athlete Award – Girls: Norah Ibrahim Mohammad al-Mutawa, Aysha Ibrahim Mohammad al-Mutawa; Season Best Athlete Award in Mechanical Sports: Abdulaziz Saadoun al-Kuwari; Season Best Athlete Award in beach and Indoor Sports: Mahmoud Uthman Saeed (Beach Handball); Season Best Coach Award (National): Mohammad Eisa al-Kebaisi (Al-Sadd Futsal Team); Season Best Coach Award (Foreign): Stanislaw Szczyrba (Coach of Mutaz Essa Barshim–High Jump); Season Best Sport Administrator Award (Men): Majed al-Naimi (Secretary General of the Qatar Cycling Association); Season Best Sport Administrator Award (Women): Al-Anoud Matar al-Naimi (Director of Women National Teams At the Qatar Shooting and Archery Federation); Season Best Referee Award: Naji al-Aji (Qatar Table Tennis Association); Season Camel Breeder  Award (Open Races-Sheikhs): Sultan Mohammad al-Wehaibi; Season Camel Breeder  Award (Public Races-Tribes): Ghanem Mansour al-Seif al-Khayarin; Season Best Athlete with Special Needs (Men): Hassan al-Mansouri; Season Best Athlete with Special Needs (Women): Nouf al-Kebaisi

Below: Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al-Thani gives away the Season’s Best Athlete Awards to Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah and Mutaz Essa Barshim during a ceremony yesterday.