Multi-talented Olympic medallist and Motorsport legend Nasser Al Attiyah speaking to journalists in Doha, yesterday.
Doha: Multi-talented Olympic medallist and Motorsport legend Nasser Al Attiyah drew attention with his multiple appearances across Qatar in a celebration day, where hundreds of thousands Qatar residents participated at the National Sport Day (NSD) festivities.
“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. I saw many children practising 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.”
Nasser 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 Nasser has been pretty successful in both Shooting and Motorsport.
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. The Emir H H 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,” said Nasser.
“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,” he added.
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,” the ace Rally driver said.
When asked which of the two sports he likes most, Nasser said:
“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.”
The National Sport day is celebrated every second Tuesday of February and is an initiative adopted by the Deputy Emir and Heir Apparent H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The 2013 edition has been a massive success with thousands of people attending events across the country where ministries, government departments, public and private sector organisations and sports clubs organised sporting activities for all on February 12, 2013. The annual event aims to create awareness about sports and its health benefits and sees the participation of many Qatari elite sportpeople.
The Peninsula
