My Journey
in the beautiful game
Being an American citizen born in Lahore, Pakistan, I was always the odd one out. Football isn't advertised in Pakistan but my love for the game pushed me to stick out from the crowd. Until the age of six, when my family relocated to Doha, Qatar, I continued to compete in sporting events including running, football, and cricket, in which I was at the top of my grade. After moving countries, I joined a club called Evolution where I developed my skills until recently, as I joined Al Rayyan Sports Club which is a top three team in the first division of Qatari Football. Furthermore, I have represented all three of my schools both internationally and locally in Qatar.
Evolution
Beginning.
I joined Evolution soccer a year after moving, making it ten years at the club. After five years I broke through into the Evo Academy through hard work and dedication. This was when I first got a taste of advanced football which further improved my game.
Positioning.
Initially, I was the starting winger being able to play on both wings; however, after two years of being part of the academy, I switched to playing full-back, alternating between both sides. In 2019, I decided to begin the season as the starting centre back. Shortly after, I began rotating between centre back and centre midfielder. When training resumed after the pandemic, my club called me up to the youth team (under 18s) from my current group (under 16s). In this year I was the starting midfielder for all competitions.
Recognition.
In 2019, I was given captaincy for 2 years up until the pandemic. In that time, my peers and coaches selected me to receive the Player of the Year award reflecting on my performance throughout the year. After the pandemic, I became the starting midfielder against ex-pros in the QCFL, the biggest amateur adult league in Qatar. The club also participated in: The Arab Academies International Youth Cup, The Qatar Community Junior League, and The Arab Youth Cup. We triumphed in all three competitions.
Manchester city training ground
Manchester city training ground
Muscat, Oman
Venue
Sultan Qaboos Stadium
My club Evolution participated in the Oman International Youth Cup where we played against many professional clubs. The likes of Manchester City, Inter Milan, Hellas Verona, Torino, Arsenal, and Genoa all attended the tournament. Playing against the highest level of football in the world at a young age helped me to fully understand how to develop my game and take it to the next level.
Bolton, England
Venue
Toughsheet Community Stadium
Bolton FC had generously invited my club along with many others from around the world to play a series of friendly fixtures. We played against many professional English teams such as Bolton FC, Manchester City, and Fleetwood Town. My teammates and I learnt a lot about culture in football. The pace and physicality of the English game gave us knowledge on how to not only approach different teams but how to improve our game as well.
Muscat, Oman
Venue
Sultan Qaboos Stadium
We once again travelled to Muscat, Oman to play in a tournament called Oman International Super Cup. We played against a number of teams from countries in the middle east such as: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Oman. Evolution ended up beating every team in the tournament and eventually winning the cup. The success boosted morale greatly within the club and gave further recognition to Evolution on an international level.
Al Rayyan
Towards the end of the 2021-2022 season I was scouted by Al Rayyan Sports Club and invited to trial with the team. After a week, I was signed to the club and officially playing in the first division of professional Qatari football. . I now train 6 days a week under coaches who come from a variety of professional teams in Spain such as: Barcelona, Sevilla, and Villarreal. They have instilled the Spanish style of football within us and taught us vital concepts of the game. I play as the starting Centre Midfielder / Centre Back for Al Rayyan, and have helped the team win the Al Kass cup and finish second place in the Qatari League, all in my first full season at the club. With that being said, I feel extremely blessed for the opportunity this club has given me and will always be thankful to them.
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AL KASS Cup
Al Rayyan was one of sixteen teams that participated in this tournament. Many of the games were broadcasted on live tv including the final, which we played in. We faced off against one of the top teams in the country (Al Arabi) and managed to claim victory which let us lift the Al Kass Cup.
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League
Throughout the entirety of the 2022-2023 season, my teammates and I fought hard win the league cup. Unfortunately we were unable to win, but we were still able to place second over all the other first division teams. During the trainings and match days of the season, my coaches taught me how to play out from the back and maintain possession of the ball: indentical to the spanish style of football.
School
I have been in Qatar since the age of six and attended three different schools during my time here. Compass, Doha College, and American School of Doha. I represented all three schools locally in Qatar, and two of them internationally. My first football tournament outside the country was during elementary with Doha college in 2016 when we travelled to Abu Dhabi for a tournament between the British Schools in the Middle East. I was the starting Winger / Centre Midfielder for Doha College up until the pandemic. We were regarded as the best school team in the country as we had beaten every other school in friendlies and tournaments.
I moved to the American School of Doha in 2021. In my first year, I became the starting winger / centre midfielder for my Varsity team as a sophomore. We weren’t able to travel due to covid restrictions but we played against many club, adult and school teams throughout the season. We were regarded as the best varsity team in the country, as we went undefeated in the 2021-2022 season.
During the 2022-2023 season, I found myself in a tricky situation as I had started training six days a week for Al Rayyan. This made it incredibly hard to attend every day training for the Varsity team. However, due to the relationship with my coaches in the school and my previous performances with the team, the school allowed me to continue to be part of the team and eventually travel with them too. Locally, we had an unbeaten record against every team that we played. During this season, we had two tournaments internationally. The first tournament was two days long and I was unable to attend due to Al Rayyan commitments. The Varsity team ended up losing every single game and coming last place in the tournament. This event, however, was only the precursor for the main event which was five days long. My coaches and teammates called upon me to travel with them to play in the Middle East South Asia Conference other wise referred to as MESAC. I was able to attend the event and became the starting winger / centre midfielder / striker for the team. During this tournament, I helped the team beat every school except one and became the highest scorer and assister for my school. We ended up making the finals for the tournament but unfortunately lost the game. Nevertheless, my school varsity team went from losing every game to finishing second place. It was one of the best moments in my footballing career and I will be forever grateful to my coaches and peers for giving me the opportunity to travel and showcase my abilities.
Summary
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What makes me different from all other students/athletes
First of all my journey consisted of me playing nearly every position on the pitch, proving that with the experience and skills obtained by doing so, my awareness and understanding of every aspect of the game will be superior to most other student/athletes. Playing the Center Midfielder position, I can showcase all these abilities as you need to be an allrounder to play the role. While playing in several different countries against the best and most well-known teams in the world such as Inter Milan, Arsenal and Manchester City, my play style along with my footballing ability was modified and improved. All the different cultures and techniques used around the world shaped me to become the player I am today.
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Why do I want to compete in college?
Over the years, the importance of my education has significantly shifted my view towards life in general. The dream started out with wanting to jump straight into the professional scene however with the help of my parents and teachers, I quickly understood that going to university and competing at the highest level of collegiate football as well as maintaining my education surrounded by fellow students and student/athletes would overall benefit my career. The idea of balancing both my football and schooling surrounded by the top coaches playing in the highest standard of football while also earning my degree being taught in the most challenging of atmospheres is the obvious most convincing route to go down. Being able to do so in the states while being an American citizen entirely solidifies the decision.
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What I can add to a college programme
The sheer experience that I have learned throughout my entire journey in football will unquestionably improve the standard, mentality, cooperation and overall passion throughout the entire team. From playing nearly every position on the pitch, I attain the knowledge needed to play every role. I also have played in several cultures with numerous personalities serving me with additional knowledge on how to cope and thrive in every possible scenario. Captaining my side to win gold in the many tournaments with the top clubs in the middle east highlights the effect I have on my team. I have shown all these attributes while playing for my club Evolution and my school varsity team through countless tournaments leading me to sign with the u17 team in Al Rayyan who are part of the few top teams in the 1st division of Professional Qatari football, where I continue to present my skills. Overall my talent, experience, education will significantly enhance the college program I attend.