Fatma Al Nabhani stepped onto the court clad in a long sleeved white outfit and fluorescent green sunshade cap for the International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in the Indian city of Bengaluru in 2014, a spectator screamed at her from the stands. “An Arab woman tennis player? I can’t believe it.”
Fatma didn’t hear him at the time, but even if she had, she would have let her racket do the talking for her. Over seven days it sprayed aces into her rivals’ arenas and decimated opponents. She emerged as the second best player of the lot in a very tough competition.
“It is not uncommon to see people raising eyebrows when they see me in action outside the Gulf region. I have been proving skeptics wrong for many years. At times, I feel like I am representing Arab women in the global sporting stage,” says Fatma.
She shoulders the expectations of not only her home country, but an entire region in international competitions. However, the burden of this challenge never makes her nervous. Being a committed professional, she simply continues to fight to live up to the billing.
Her resoluteness helped her annex 11 international crowns and three runner-up positions in events in Europe and Asia this year alone.
Winning has become a habit for Fatma ever since her first victory in the West Asia Tennis Championship at the age of nine. The achievement gave her a perfect launching pad.
Following a series of triumphs, she found herself among the World’s top-30 junior players and even played in four Grand Slam tournaments.
“I am eager to improve my ranking and earn a berth for Rio Olympics next year,” says the star who doesn’t want to rest on her laurels.
Even as she aims for bigger feats, Fatma feels that absence of a regular coach is a major handicap to her aspirations. “Coach plays an important role in the development of a player.
It is very difficult to improve my performance without proper assistance from a reputed coach. I am just surviving with the help of a sparring partner. It is really expensive to get a coach. I cannot do it on my own.”
Even as she scales new heights in her career, Fatma acts as a catalyst for social change, inspiring girls to seriously pursue sports as a career.
Many consider her as the youth icon of Oman and follow her footsteps. She believes Oman has rich talent pool and wants to see more girls to play tennis.
“If you have passion for tennis, don’t hesitate to take it up. Don’t do it for the sake of doing it. The effort should come from your heart.”
Where to play tennis in Muscat:
Oman Tennis Association: Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Bausher +968 2475 1402
Al Hayat Tennis Centre: Shatti Al Qurum (next to Grand Hyatt) +968 9941 6391
Pro Tennis: Facilities at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Golden Tulip and Al Ghubra, +968 9760 8960
InterContinental Hotel: Shatti Al Qurum, +968 2468 0660
Al Bawaba
Via SyndiGate.info
� Muscat Media Group
