December 2020

Abdulla Al-Tamimi

Abdulla Al-Tamimi had the tough choice of choosing between his love for both football and squash before setting his heart on a professional squash career. Playing since he was just seven years old, Abdulla is now Qatar’s top-ranked squash player and number 30 in the world number. His career has evolved and grown enormously during this time, fuelled by his endless determination.

Joining the Aspire Academy in 2006, Abdulla received invaluable mentoring which went far beyond sport. “Until I was 17, I couldn’t speak a sentence in English, so there’s been a lot of improvement in this area! I received a great education in all areas of life, and they also took me to the next level in squash. I really see Aspire as my second home”.

Abdulla has compiled an impressive trophy cabinet through his junior and professional career, including winning numerous Professional Squash Association Tour Championships. “Some of my biggest achievements have been the Malaysian Open and Australian Open, as well as the championships held in Qatar”.

However, in 2019, Abdulla underwent a challenging surgery for compartment syndrome in both legs, which was devastating news for the professional athlete; “I had to stop playing for five months and my ranking dropped from 23 to 58. But I recovered, and fought hard to reach 27 again”.

Abdulla did not let this potential setback stand in the way of his dreams, and he has continued to be driven despite the challenges posed by COVID-19. “We had to remain motivated to prepare for the next upcoming event”.

“I have a lot of goals. I want to be top ten in the world and win gold for Qatar at the Asian Games. If I keep working on my mental and physical strength, I believe I have the skills to do it. My time will come and I will achieve it”.

With a strong mindset and boundless aspirations, Abdulla’s career will be sure to go on from strength to strength.