Fit Matar all set for another season

Like Steven Gerrard was for Liverpool, Ismail Matar is for Al Wahda. The Emirati has been a one-club man for close to 15 years, except for a two-game spell in 2009 when he joined Qatar's Al Sadd on loan to help them in the Emir Cup.
Matar is a legend and the Emirati has left an indelible mark for both club and country. As he prepares for another season, the 32-year-old is looking sharper and fitter than ever.
He rarely gives interviews but ahead of Al Wahda's opener against promoted Dibba Al Fujairah in the Arabian Gulf League on Thursday night, Matar opened up and spoke on what has been a stellar career.
Retirement Plans?
No not all. I still have a contract with Al Wahda for three years. It is about motivating myself. My plan is to end my career with the best performance. Also, the new coach Aguirre has a lot of experience and he has taught me a lot. It makes us confident.
Lean phase.
The last two years were a disaster for me. Maybe, it was the worst two years for me in football because I could not find my ways on the pitch and off it. I stayed on the bench and for me it was a disaster. I hope it ends. Now, I'm focused and I will try to fight for my position.
Lost weight.
I was having too much weight in my head. When your head is not empty, you cannot think good for yourself. Now, I'm in a better frame of mind and I'm fit.
Still Play The Full 90 Minutes?
Sure, no question about that. I'm fit enough, Alhamdulillah. We have an experienced coach and he has coached a lot of big and famous players and he knows how to deal with this situation. Earlier, sometimes, I have made mistakes, sometimes not. At the end of the day, you have to learn from what you have been through before and from those experiences. The coach has given me a lot of confidence and given me advice on how to stay focussed. Even a couple of years before, I never start the camp through injuries and a lot of other factors. But this year, Alhamdulillah, I started the camp normally and I trained everyday and I'm ready to go."
Best Team In The League?
We have to prove that. I hope we can prove that we can be the best team in the League.
Family Support.
I get a lot of support from my family. Sometimes my kids ask me 'Baba, you don't score like before. It is hard to hear when your kids say that. And I think this is the time to come back.
Pairing Up With Valdivia.
Valdivia is a good player for Al Wahda. I have played with a lot of big names before. Valdivia will help us and we will be great teammates. There is no point in being called great players if we don't win anything. We have to be good teammates and help each other and do it for the team. It is football and football is about 11 players and not about good player or a great player.
james@khaleejtimes.com 

results
> Men's doubles
Muhammad Hafiz / Zairul Hafiz bt Siddharth Thakur / Harshit Agarwal 21-15, 21-12; Mohammed Munawar / Nandagopal Kidambi bt Dea Adi Rangga / Kornelius Mujiono 22-24, 21-10, 21-14; Anup Sridhar  / Mohit Kamat  bt Nur Izzuddin / Mohamad Razlan Mohamad Ridzuan 12-21, 21-16, 21-16; Ketan Chahal / Alex Eapen Tharakan bt Imam Adi Kusuma Admaja / Jaffer Ebrahim 19-21, 21-15, 21-17.