Oman wheelchair basketball team heads to Jordan

Observer

07-07-2025

MUSCAT: The national wheelchair basketball team delegation departed Muscat on Monday morning, heading to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to participate in the 9th West Asia Wheelchair Basketball Club Championship. The tournament, organised by the Jordanian Paralympic Committee and hosted by the Ajyal Al Ghad Club in the capital, Amman, will be held from July 13 to 19. It features wide participation from West Asian teams and represents a key step in enhancing Oman's presence on the regional Paralympic stage. The Omani team is participating in the championship by official invitation from the organisers, as part of the Oman Paralympic Committee's ongoing preparations for upcoming events, most notably the hosting of the West Asia Championship for Persons with Disabilities scheduled for February 2026. This participation offers a valuable opportunity for the players to gain experience in real competitive settings, improve technical skills, foster team cohesion, and assess the team's readiness ahead of major future tournaments. The championship will see intense competition among ten teams representing nine countries: the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, two teams from Jordan, and Oman, reflecting the challenging nature of the tournament for the Omani side. Mohammed al Hinai, head of the delegation and Secretary-General of the Oman Paralympic Committee, explained that the team held a closed domestic training camp for one week at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher. The camp focused on improving the players' physical and technical readiness, boosting their mental preparedness, and enhancing team chemistry following the finalisation of the squad list.
He added that upon arrival in Amman, the team will enter an external training camp in coordination with Ajyal Al Ghad Club. The camp includes five consecutive friendly matches, one per day, to test the players' abilities in real game scenarios, adapt to the coach's tactics, and identify strengths and weaknesses.
The national team delegation includes: Mohammed al Hinai as head of the delegation, Hamoud al Amri as head coach, and Mousa al Siyabi as assistant coach. The squad features ten players: Zaher bin Khalfan al Atbi, Hafidh Awlad Ahmed, Younis al Toubi, Ali al Ghassani, Ahmed al Numani, Maktoum al Muqbali, Khamis al Masoudi, Ashraf al Khasibi, Amjad al Wahaibi, and Salem al Hishami.
This participation aligns with the vision of the Oman Paralympic Committee to elevate the visibility of para sports both regionally and internationally, and to prepare the national team to compete at the highest levels, achieving results that reflect the strong support and attention provided by the Sultanate of Oman to this important group of athletes.