Qatari basketball player Yaseen Ismail speaks to media during a recently held press conference in this file photo.
After 23 years with Al Rayyan and the Qatar national team, retiring basketball star Yaseen Ismail says he will miss the 'locker-room banter'.
Ismail, who plays his farewell game tomorrow at Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena, admitted saying 'goodbye' is the hardest part for any professional athlete.
"It is difficult to say goodbye," Ismail told The Peninsula in a candid conversation ahead of his farewell game.
"I am going to miss the locke-room banter, my teammates," he added.
Excerpts from an interview with Ismail who remained a one-club wonder with Al Rayyan throughout his 23-year association with the game.
Q: How do you look back at your long career?
A: More than two decades, yes. Yes, definitely it is a moment of happiness and sadness at the same time. After 23 or 24 years with Al Rayyan or Qatar team, it is difficult to say goodbye. I am stopping from active basketball. I am retiring from the sport. I am going to miss the locker-room banter, my teammates. But this is life. Everything comes to an end. For everything, there's a last day. I am happy for what I have done with the national team. I won everything with the national side. I am a GCC champion. I have won Arab championship. I have the Asian gold medal. We were second at the Doha Asian Games (in 2006). I won the World 3x3 title. I have 46 titles with my club Al Rayyan in 23 years. I am happy. It is time to give the next generation the opportunity to take over.
Q: Clearly you have had a very satisfying career, yes?
A: Yes, definitely. No regrets but there were a lot of sacrifices that I had to make. There were lot of injuries. There were a lot of good and bad moments. But this is the life of a professional sports person. But I would say 80 percent of my long career was a success. I won so many titles. Winning in Asia and in the Arab world makes me a happy man.
Q: What are your favourite moments in your career?
A: There are lot of moments that made me happy. When you say you have won 60 trophies that means there are so many great moments. I remember winning the Asian championship in Malaysia in 2002. That was the first title I won with my club. It was a nice feeling. When we won the first GCC Championship, that was a great feeling too. The World Cup in 2014 was a great moment as well. And the most memorable time was two years ago - when we had lost two back-to-back league titles. I think we didn't win in 2012 an 2013.
We had so many injuries to important players. We came back and we won the 2014 league title.
I was 36 at that time. It was tough, I enjoyed that as well. I was feeling elated. Then we won the Arab championship in Morocco in 2014. That was the first time we had won that title after 16 seasons. The last time we played in that championship was in 1999. Thank God for all the great moments in my career.
Q: What will you miss most about competitive basketball?
A: I am going to miss the locker-room and my team-mates. All these things I enjoyed a lot. Now I have two sons. They also play the game. One is 12 years old. The other is playing U-14s. His name is Hamad. I am enjoying playing with them. I watch them practice. I talk to them. I am always there for them. I guess I won't miss being on the court. I have been there all my life. I am always close to my kids. I will take them to practice, to the games. I will always be busy with them.
Q: Do you have any other plans?
A: Plans? Well, I don't know at this point in time. No coaching, of course. Maybe in management. Maybe I would be (joining) the federation. I will take a month off after my retirement. Then I will decide my future course of action - whether I will be with Al Rayyan or with the Qatar national side.
Q: What's your height and who is your all-time favourite player?
A: I am 2 metres 3 centimetres tall. My all-time favourite players are Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan. Those guys were awesome. I never got to meet them. Early in my career I was on trial with the Dallas Mavericks in Houston and with Indiana Pacers. I never had the chance to meet those guys but hopefully I could meet them in the future.
Q: Your prediction on the NBA season?.
A: My favourite team is San Antonio Spurs. They can win.
