Oman team gears up for volleyball championship
The Oman national men's volleyball team continues its intensive training programme in preparation for the West Asian Championship, set to take place in Manama, Bahrain from July 17-24, 2025. The coaching staff is working to ensure peak physical and technical readiness ahead of this key regional competition.
As part of the preparation phase, Engineer Ibrahim bin Abdullah al Muqbali, President of the Oman Volleyball Association (OVA), visited the team's current training camp at Sohar Sports Complex. During the visit, he met with the players, coaching, and administrative staff, praising their efforts and emphasising the need to intensify preparations in the coming period.
In a statement, assistant coach Hamid al Muqbali expressed gratitude for the association's support, noting that preparations began immediately after the conclusion of the local league. The comprehensive programme, supervised directly by the association president, includes the appointment of Iranian coach Mohammad Vakili former coach of Al Salam Club and a highly experienced figure who previously led Iran's youth team to a world championship title.
The technical staff also includes Iranian specialists in physical conditioning and analytics, as well as local professionals serving as assistant coach, fitness trainer, and physiotherapist.
Al Muqbali explained that the first stage of preparation included selecting an extended squad of 22 players based on performance in a competitive and professionally enriched local season. The squad later participated in domestic camps in Sohar and Muscat and played two successful friendlies in Dubai against the UAE youth team, winning both matches without dropping a set. The squad was then trimmed to 14 players, in accordance with official competition regulations.
The team began its overseas training camp in Egypt on June 21, where it has so far played and won two friendly matches against Egypt's youth team as part of an intensive tactical and technical development plan.
FOCUS ON PHYSICAL AND TACTICAL DEVELOPMENT
Al Muqbali emphasised that the current camp focuses on several key areas: modern strength building techniques to enhance muscular endurance, improvement of individual skills, addressing weaknesses, and developing team harmony and tactical execution. He highlighted that Coach Mohammad Vakili's previous experience in Oman has allowed him to quickly understand the local players' capabilities and design an effective training approach.
As for the squad composition, Al Muqbali noted a significant rejuvenation of the team, with the promotion of young talents such as Hamad al Maamari (Al Salam), Abdulbasit al Balushi (Sohar), Adam al Jaradi, and Abdullah al Shibli. He stated that the current squad's average age positions it as one of the most promising teams among Gulf nations in terms of readiness and future potential.
FRIENDLY MATCHES PLANNED WITH SAUDI ARABIA
The team will continue its friendly match schedule in Egypt before returning to Oman, where it will host the Saudi national team from July 1 to 9. Four friendly matches are scheduled during that period, which will serve as the final phase of preparation before heading to Bahrain for the championship. Regarding the training structure in Cairo, Al Muqbali explained that mornings are dedicated to correcting errors and implementing tactical plans, followed by fitness sessions in specialised gyms. Evening sessions are reserved for friendly matches. He concluded by praising the training environment at the Hassan Mostafa Sports Complex in Cairo, which offers modern facilities, including gyms, recovery amenities and multiple training halls in one location maximising the benefits of the training camp.
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