Farhan Omar, 23, has been fasting for every Ramadan since he was a little boy. This year his fast went swimmingly, he says, once his metabolism got used to the scarcity of food.

Omar plays football in his local Turku team, ÅboIFK, which trains five times a week and plays a weekly match. Omar says he loves the sport and has never missed a single training session due to fasting.

The times for fasting vary from country to country. One source says that in areas with light phenomena that interfere with the visibility of the moon or the regularity of sunrises and sets – such as the Midnight Sun in Finland – alternatives such as following the timetable of Mecca or estimating the time and keeping a schedule are suggested. Omar’s family used the Finnish sun as their guide to fasting times.

“This year we have been allowed to eat from 11 pm to 2.30 am. After that we weren’t to eat or drink,” he says.

Omar says he enjoys fasting just as he enjoys playing football, because both are important to him.

“It’s good for the mind and the body, no matter what someone else might say. And it’s a way of remembering those who are worse off, who cannot eat as often as we do. We get a taste of what they might be going through,” he says.

When asked about how he was able to stick to his demanding training regime without eating or drinking all day, he said simply that he “wanted to be able to do it” and gave it his all.

The holy month of Ramadan ended yesterday Friday. Today is the first day after the fast, known as Eid al-Fitr.