(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha: Ahmed Al Meghessib has earned his bragging rights as one of the region's top FIFA players. At only 19 years old, the Qatari made his debut at the FIFA Interactive World Cup.
The young phenom broke through to the world stage when he stormed through the regional finals to represent the Rest of the World at the 2017 FIWC.
As a graduate of the Aspire Academy, he's mastered the controller as well as the footwork. Bringing his talents to the pitch as a midfielder for Al Duhail Sports Club and the Qatari national team.
The 21-year-old has taken bold steps forward with his career. After signing for PSG Esports, Al Meghessib has dipped his toe into the big leagues, seizing every opportunity to make his mark.
In an interview amid government's directives for public to stay at home to control the spread of coronavirus, the Qatari e-football star shares his experience as he practises the social distancing. Following are the excerpts of his interview.
Q: People have been advised to remain at home amidst the coronavirus lockdown, are you complying with the rules and what are your thoughts?
A: Totally not complaining about staying indoors for our own safety and security. In fact I'm looking at this period as a positive thing that is allowing me to think about new stuff to do such as reading books and enhancing my gaming skills by learning new showboating skills in FIFA. We could always use free time to our benefits.
Q: Why should everyone pay close attention to Qatar government's advisory on staying at home in a time like this?
A: I think it's important that all people stick together as one hand and listen to the government's advice and recommendations to stay home and help avoid spreading the virus.
Q: Describe your day in self quarantine, what is your daily routine and how are you investing this time at home?
A: At first, it wasn't easy for me to adapt to this change in daily routine. As a professional football player also, I have daily trainings which require me to wake up early every day. Now it's a bit more relaxed schedule, I get the chance to rest my body more with more sleep. Yet this doesn't mean we stop training, never. I'm finding alternatives that suit the current situation, such as opting for a daily run in the neighbourhood or at any close stadium to maintain my fitness level. I also do upper body workout at home. Nevertheless keeping enough time during the day and night for spending time with my family and gaming.
Q: Esports is becoming more popular as people observe the stay at home call to curb the covid-19 spread, what are your thoughts on the popularity of Esports?
A: Being a sportive discipline that can be practiced indoors, Esports is getting more attention in such times since people are staying home. Numbers of viewers on live streaming platforms are increasing which is a good sign. Many gamers are having more time to play and showcase their skills and share with others, meaning that many people will improve their gaming level. Gamers are benefiting from this time, whether gaming casually with a friend online or e-Sports athletes playing pro to train for their next online tournament. On a positive note, families are more accepting to the fact that their kids are playing for hours on their consoles while staying home and enjoying their time.
Q: How will Esports and home gaming influence people positively while staying at home?
A: Streamers are sharing videos on their social media platforms talking about how to enjoy these moment at home through gaming. Viewers are definitely benefiting from watching their videos on YouTube or watching them live stream as influencers have more time now to stream and upload more videos on their channels. This pattern will help in drifting the attention away from the negative vibes that this virus is spreading across the people.
Q: Please share with us your gaming routine during these times and how did it change?
A: My gaming routine at the moment is different than the usual as I'm spending more time to play other games beside FIFA which is my professional Esport game. Other games I'm enjoying now are First Person Shooters such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. We play this game online, get into a group of 5 friends, we play together for hours, joke, have fun by beating other teams, so I added that to my routine and its great I'm enjoying it daily!
Q: What other activities are you engaged in at home that you would like to share with your fans?
A: Well I'm starting to create more videos as snippets from the FIFA games I play. I focus on sharing scoring some nice goals that are unique to be scored and uploading them into my social media platforms as gaming insights to share with the gaming community on my platforms.
Q: How are you looking at the future and what are your comeback plans after these tough times on all levels?
A: I hope that in the near future the virus will be controlled and everything goes back to normal and the world learns about this time to avoid any future issues happening in the same way.
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