I am from Qatar where sports has traditionally been considered boys’ activity. But despite being a female, I became interested in sports at an early age and would often compete with my brothers and male cousins. My interest was also due to watching international sports competitions such as basketball, soccer, and Olympics that were always intense and full of adrenaline. When I reached college age, I chose education as my undergraduate major because I also enjoy teaching but maintained my love affair with sports. Upon graduation, I became academic support coordinator for sport science students, a position I have been enjoying immensely since 2004. A lot of changes have occurred since then and one of the major trends has been the political and economic rise of Middle East countries like Qatar. Qatar is now poised to host the FIFA World Cup and more and more sports organizations and companies are now eyeing presence in Qatar if they have not already done so. This is why I have been inspired to pursue my Masters in Sports management because it will allow me to combine my love of education with love of sports. In doing so, I also hope to be the first Qatari female to have a graduate degree in Sports Management.
After completing my graduate degree in Sports Management, I plan to teach sports leadership and sports management In Qatar where some of the leading academic institutions such as Carnegie Mellon now have campuses. I also hope my degree with inspire other Qatari females to follow their dreams no matter how unconventional they may be. Being someone from Qatar, I am also influenced by the wars and political unrests in the Middle East region and hope that sports and cultural exchanges will make significant contributions to peace in the region. I have closely studied the sports management model in the U.S. and Europe and believe there will be lot of job opportunities for sports management graduates in the Middle East. And when such job opportunities begin appearing in great numbers, I hope my students will be ready to take advantage of them.