Local Athletes Highlight Power Of Faith

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Foundation's inaugural QIYADA conference has seen athletes from Qatar reveal how faith has guided their journeys in sport – teaching them discipline, resilience, and purpose, and helping to make it about more than just winning.

The conference took place from September 19 to 20 at Multaqa (Education City Student Centre), bringing together Muslim youth from schools and universities across Qatar to engage, share challenges, and explore faith-driven solutions.

Rabaah Al-Musleh, founder of Athletic Edge, spoke about her journey as a runner – from struggling to run more than a minute when she started in 2018, to completing marathons.“Faith has shaped me a lot as an athlete – faith has added a deeper purpose to my running,” she said.

“For every runner, the purpose of running and participating in marathons is to achieve personal bests. But because of faith, my purpose is to show gratitude for the things Allah has given me – health, physical strength, and mental strength.”

“Truly believing in Allah, and the support that Allah will give you during this journey, will make the journey easier, more enjoyable, and more spiritual. It gives running a deeper purpose, beyond just achieving personal goals.”

Ahmed Al-Shahrani, an adaptive athlete and Guinness World Record holder as the first and fastest para-athlete to cross Qatar by wheelchair, encouraged attendees to embrace their identity.

“A part of being human is to be an ambassador for your culture: who you are, what you are,” he said.

“You also have to know that you're going to play multiple roles in your life. You have to know that your identity has to be more than just what you do and what you enjoy – it has to be rooted in something deeper. And I find nothing deeper than faith.”

He also spoke about the role of discipline, particularly during Ramadan, saying:“It's just amazing how much you can achieve when you put your mind to it, and when you're disciplined. And discipline is a big part of Ramadan.

“We want to eat, we want to drink, but I'm disciplining myself that I can't have it now – I have to wait for it later. It's the same thing in sports – you have to be disciplined to reap the rewards later.”

Amal Mohammed Saleh, captain of Qatar's women's national basketball team and an internationally licensed basketball referee, shared her experience of advocating for Muslim women athletes.

In 2014, her team attended a tournament, but could not compete because players were not allowed to wear the hijab on court.“But we had faith,” she said – and in 2017, basketball's rules were changed, allowing Muslim women to fully participate while wearing the hijab.

The QIYADA conference, organized by Qatar Foundation's Higher Education division, has been sponsored by QIIB.

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