Issue 7
Qataris Abroad
Appropriately, Mutaz’s name translates from Arabic One day, Barshim hopes to give back to youngsters
as ‘Pride’ – and he is certainly the pride of Qatar. following in his footsteps. He says: “Sport has given me
“It was just a dream come true,” says Barshim, who
wrapped himself in the national flag for a victory lap.
“I was part of the delegation team when we applied
to actually host the Doha Championships. We tried
first in 2017, we did not succeed. It was won by
London, where I won gold.”
“Then we won the election to host the 2019
Championships. For me, Doha is the number one
place to compete. I wanted to make my family, my
people, my country, everybody proud. That is why
winning at home was like a dream come true.”
His Highness the Amir of Qatar was there too, and a
now famous photo captures their victory embrace.
Barshim says of this high-level support: “It means
so much to me. When you have that kind of
tremendous support from His Highness himself,
you can only have a great respect for him. He has so
many responsibilities, but on that particular day he
a lot and it’s only right to give back. I want to pass on
my experience to the next generations.”
The FIFA World Cup 2022 is a big date for all Qatari
sportsmen, no matter their discipline. Barshim
explains: “Of course, I am excited, especially at home,
HE Sheikh Joaan
bin Hamad Al
Thani greets
Barshim at the
2019 IAAF World
Championships
we will all have a big role to play here, to make this
event successful.”
“Everybody in the country becomes an ambassador
automatically. We need to come together, make sure we
all have fun and help the visitors that are coming here
watch and enjoy and hopefully make positive memories.”
Then next year of course there is the Tokyo Olympics
2020. Barshim says the pressure is intense, explaining:
“Everybody keeps telling me ‘there is no going back…
bronze, silver…next has got to be the gold.’”
“And I want to give this to everybody who supports
me, to my country, my people, my team, my family
and my friends, I want to give them that gold.”
chooses to step down from all that and be present One thing is certain: in his next drive for success,
himself to support you. That is why I said to myself: I Barshim will certainly have the entire nation cheering
need to give something special.” him towards victory.
“Even winning is not enough. You have got so much
respect for those people who come to support you
and you want to give them something spectacular
and I am glad I was able to deliver.”
Of his nickname, Barshim says that he does indeed
sometimes feel like he is flying: “Oh definitely. At
some moments, it feels like time just freezes, things
go slow and at that moment when you clear the bar
you feel like you are actually flying.”
Barshim joined the world of athletics early, beginning
the high jump at the age of nine.
Everybody keeps telling me
‘there is no going back…
bronze, silver…next has got to
be the gold.’
Mutaz Barshim, Olympian and world champion in high jump
After graduating from the Aspire Academy in 2009,
Barshim met his Polish coach Stanisław “Stanley”
Szczyrba who trains him in Doha.
32
33