Oman club all set to host 41st Gulf Club Handball
The Sultanate of Oman, represented by Oman Club, is all set to host the 41st Gulf Club Handball Championship, which will begin on Saturday, February 10, and run until February 24 at the indoor hall of Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. The details of the Gulf event were unveiled during a press conference held on Monday at the headquarters of the Oman Olympic Committee in the presence of Jihad bin Abdullah al Shaikh, Chairman of the Organising Committee; Moosa bin Khamis al Balushi, Chairman of the Oman Handball Association (OHA); Fareed Ramadhan, Treasurer at Oman Club; and officials of the tournament, alongside media representatives.
Oman will participate in this tournament through two local clubs, including Oman Club and Seeb Club. Oman Club will compete in Group B against Kuwait SC (Kuwait), Dibba Al Hisn (UAE), and Al Arabi (Qatar), while Seeb is grouped with Al Rayyan (Qatar), Al Najma (Bahrain), and Al Noor (Saudi Arabia) in Group A. Jihad al Shaikh said, 'Oman Club, in collaboration with other stakeholders including the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth (MoCSY) and OHA, has completed all necessary preparations for the event, including accommodation, venue arrangements, transportation, and essential logistical requirements. The Gulf Technical Committee will oversee the technical aspects of the tournament, ensuring compliance with all necessary regulations.' He added, 'Thanks to the media for their presence and for playing a crucial role in ensuring the success of the championship in Oman. Hosting such events highlights the nation's strong commitment to sports and its ability to organise major regional tournaments. Oman's bid was among other bids to secure the rights to host this event. We are pleased that this event is happening in Oman, and this will be a great opportunity for the players and organising committee to showcase their top performance in this field.' The opening match will be between Kuwait SC and Qatar's Al Arabi, which will kick off at 6:30 pm, followed by Oman Club and Dibba Al Hisn at 6:30 pm on Saturday. The opening ceremony will take place on Saturday at 6:00 pm under the auspices of HH Sayyid Mohammed bin Salim al Said.
UAE's Dibba Al Hisn arrived in Muscat as the first team and will hold a short camp ahead of the tournament. 'The team is currently holding a training camp in Muscat and has scheduled several friendly matches in preparation for the competition. On the other hand, Oman Club is currently in Bahrain for an external camp in Manama. The club will play a few friendly matches before the tournament begins in Muscat on Friday,' he said. 'As the organising committee, we have made a few changes at the indoor hall to meet international and Asian standards. Technically, this edition of the tournament will be very tough, as the clubs from Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain participated in the latest edition of the IHF World Cup Championship. Furthermore, a total of eight refereeing teams have been assigned to officiate the tournament, including representatives from Gulf countries and referees appointed by the IHF from Moldova and Montenegro,' he pointed out. 'The championship will be broadcast live throughout the tournament, with a dedicated sports studio for match analysis at Oman TV's sports channel. Additionally, several Gulf sports channels have expressed their interest in securing broadcasting rights,' he ended.
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