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MY FIRST QATAR CLASSIC…
Framboise rounds up
another successful Classic ... |
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 It
was not my first visit to Doha, as I came to the WISPA Qatar Airways
Challenge a few months ago, but I never enjoyed the excitement and the
buzz that emanates from the “Classic”…
 This
year was a bit difficult, as the country is going under a lot of pressure
as they’ve been chosen to host the 2006 Asian Games which program includes
squash… Clever people!!!!
You would not believe the number of people that have contributed to this
tournament’s success, but nothing would have been possible without…
The sponsors of the event, OBVIOUSLY, as without the trust and support of
those companies, no tournament, no money, no tour, no squash… my personal
gratitude to Pepsi, well, Diet Pepsi actually, and Fauchon, a French
Caterer brand that has companies all over the world… I felt home during
the whole tournament…
The two Egyptian marvels Gamal Rasmi, QSF Technical Director, and
Aladdin Alouba QSF Technical Consultant, whose help and
organisation skills have been invaluable to all, as they went out of their
way to allow us to work in the best of conditions, solving problems (or
preventing them from happening), day by day, detail by detail, always a
smile on their face… May you be thanked…
  The
referees, John Masarella, Nasser Zahran, Ayaz Khan,
Peter Lawrence, who were only four to cover the whole event, along
with two markers Hussain Mohamad and Roger Freer … Their
contribution to the event was stupendous, and they cannot be thanked
enough…
All the “floor” organisation, tournament office, logistics, the Khalifa
employees, who didn’t know how to make our life easier… May you be thanked
for your kindness…
But
above all, the QSF members, who had the heavy duty to manage and organise
the whole of the event, among them tournament director Khalid Al
Obaidly, and Mohammed Al Kuwari, Assistant Secretary General
who stepped in as Khalid couldn’t be at the opening of the event...
 The last thank you?
To the Voice of Squash, of course, Mr Robert Edwards, who is
dangerously talking about retiring, and who has sprinkled my life with his
knowledge of human nature, his diplomacy and his people skills. His heart
is as big as his appetite… for life, and I cannot wait to work with him
again in the new adventure that we are going to live together, the Saudi
International.
Merci Robert… |
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