Ahmed Dyani, 17

How does it feel to know you will be representing your country at such a prestigious event?
I am extremely proud, not to mention happy, to be representing Qatar.

What do you expect the competition to be like?
I imagine that it will be similar to the Doha World Cup that we hosted here in Qatar earlier this year.

How did you first get into gymnastics?
When I was younger, my PE teacher suggested I should try it. So I did and the rest is history.

Have you taken part in competitions abroad before?
Yes, I have done a lot of travelling to many different countries, including China and Japan, for training camps and competitions, but this will be my first visit to Singapore. I am very excited about the trip and the competition.

How are you preparing for it?
Now that it’s the school holidays, I have two training sessions a day. Last month I went to a training camp in Romania where I trained with the national team. But from now up until the Qatar delegation leave for Singapore, I will be training here in Doha. It is busy at the moment, and I have little time to rest.

Do you get nervous?
I try not to. I listen to music and mentally go over my routines, making sure I think through the correct technical points.

How are the training facilities in Doha?
They aren’t bad, but we lack many things that other countries have, such as a national training hall. Germany, France and Japan all have one of these.

Is it true that a career in gymnastics can be quite short?
For men, a career in artistic gymnastics can be quite long, say around 10 years. When Jordan Jovtchev became the Olympic rings champion, he was 32 years old. But when I retire from competing, I want to go into gymnastics coaching.