Kuwait City, Kuwait, March 24, 2022: As a player, Ali Eshagh Bairami, starred for Al Rayyan Sports Club as well as the Qatar national volleyball team. Now, having retired, he is honing his skills as a coach, and these last few days at the Olympic Council of Asia’s special project development programme has been a massive boost for him.
“This is the first time I’m taking part in a coaching seminar and clinic where more than just one sport is involved. And I’m learning a lot, not only in volleyball, but also from mixing around with coaches from the other sports - swimming and handball - and it has been a fantastic experience for me,” Bairami pointed out on Wednesday, March 23.
He is one of more than 330 coaches and referees who are participating in this first-time initiative of the OCA to be hands-on and develop nine sports across 12 National Olympic Committees in West Asia.
“This is a good learning experience for me. I’m finding out new things every day as a coach in volleyball, but when I mix around with the other coaches from swimming and handball, it broadens my view. This gives me a better idea of what is needed to become a complete athlete,” says the 42-year-old Bairami who is currently an assistant coach with the Qatar national team.
As a player, he represented the Qatar national team from 2000 to 2016. But his best moment on court was captaining Al Rayyan Sport Club to the runner-up position at the 2014 World Club Championship in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
If he has any regrets, then it is the fact that Qatar has never been able to accomplish a podium finish in volleyball at the Asian Games, something he hopes can be put right at this September’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
“We came close twice, in 2006 when the Asian Games were held in Doha, and then last time, four years ago in Jakarta. On both occasions we finished in fourth place. I hope we can finish on the podium in Hangzhou,” says Bairami.
“The national team has been working hard for the last four years as this is our priority,” he added.
While volleyball takes a back seat to football and handball back home in Qatar, it has recently had an upswing in its fortunes with Qatar having booked a place in the 20th FIVB Men’s World Championship after finishing in the top four at the Asian qualification tournament.
Iran and Japan qualified by virtue of being Asian champions and runners-up respectively in 2021, with Qatar and Japan also booking their berths due to their world rankings.
The World Championship was due to be played in Russia in August but the country has been stripped of hosting rights due to the invasion of Ukraine. A new venue is yet to be decided.
“It is great that we have qualified for the World Championship. But our main goal is winning a medal at the Asian Games,” stressed player-turned-coach Bairami.