Oman Sail team heads to Greece for 49er tourney
Hashim al Rashdi, Oman Sail's Head Performance Coach, said, 'This is a prestigious event where we will line up against some of the most accomplished 49er sailors in the world. The qualification campaign for the Asian Games 2026 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games will begin soon and events like this in the build up are valuable experience to make sure our preparations are on track and our sailors realise the levels they need to reach. We are looking forward to testing ourselves against such a diverse fleet in Greece and progressing throughout the year.' Musab al Hadi added, 'We are incredibly focused and determined to achieve our ultimate goal of qualifying for the Olympic Games and representing the nation in the sailing competition.
Together with Waleed al Kindi, we have been working on our tactical and technical approach to racing, and we are both looking ahead to improving on the water this season. The 49er European Championship is the first step on what we hope will be a successful journey.' The team will be coached during the Championship by experienced Polish coach Jacek Nowak.
A former Polish national 49er team sailor himself, Nowak has also gained experience on board the Poland team in the Star Sailors League 2023 and on board the victorious Cape31 Team 'Aspire'. He has been coach of the Finnish national 49er team and guided a variety of crews through European and World Championship campaigns.
Jacek Nowak commented, 'The tactical and technical aspect of the championship is vital to the long-term success of Oman's 49er team. The crew need to be able to anticipate and adapt to changing conditions and situations to score points and secure a place in the final series. We have been working on tactics and how to overcome challenges on the water, stay focused and make the correct choice under pressure. This ability will be important in Greece but also extends beyond a single event to build a winning mentality.' After the conclusion of the 49er European Championship in Greece, the team will then return to Oman before departing for Germany to take part in Kieler Woche from June 21-25. The team will also be competing at the 49er World Championship in Italy from October 7-13, and the Asian Sailing Championship in November.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
9 hours ago
- Observer
Swiatek, Ruud romp into US Open mixed doubles semis
NEW YORK: Iga Swiatek shrugged off lingering weariness to partner Casper Ruud to back-to-back victories in the revamped mixed doubles competition at the US Open on Tuesday. Swiatek — who on Monday had battled through a two-hour tussle with Jasmine Paolini to win the Cincinnati Open — looked full of energy as she and Ruud powered into Wednesday's semifinals. Swiatek and Ruud needed just 39 minutes to dispatch the US pairing of Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe 4-1, 4-2 in their opening game at Arthur Ashe Stadium, and then reappeared roughly 20 minutes later to defeat Caty McNally and Lorenzo Musetti 5-3, 4-2 in their quarterfinal clash. The victories capped a gruelling 24 hours for Polish star Swiatek, who hot-footed it to the airport after Monday's win in Cincinnati and only arrived at her hotel in New York in the early hours of Tuesday. "Honestly, the last two days have felt like one day, but I'm super happy to be here," Swiatek said, adding that her tight turnaround had helped her unwind after her exertions in Cincinnati. "Honestly, I think actually it's kind of nice for the recovery," Swiatek said. "To have another task and not to let yourself be lazy but also focused on the next exciting thing." Ruud and Swiatek had just enough time to fit in a quick practice before taking to the court in their first match as a doubles pairing. "I was happy to team up with Iga," Ruud said afterwards. "She's on the winning train these days so I'm just jumping on the train and let's see if we can win some more before the mixed doubles is over. "I think everyone should show some appreciation to Iga today. She only got to her hotel 12 hours ago at 2.30am, and she's here playing." Britain's Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain confer during their first round mixed doubles match against Jessica Pegula of the US and Jack Draper of Britain at the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on August 19, 2025. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) ALCARAZ, DJOKOVIC OUT Swiatek and Ruud will meet top seeds Jessica Pegula of the United States and Britain's Jack Draper in Wednesday's semifinals. Pegula and Draper clicked smoothly to eliminate the glamour pairing of Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu 4-2, 4-2 in the first round before easing past Russia's Daniil Medvedev and Mirra Andreeva 4-1, 4-1 in the quarterfinals. Medvedev and Andreeva had earlier romped past Novak Djokovic and Olga Danilovic in straight sets in the first round, winning 4-2, 5-3. In other results on Tuesday, US tennis icon Venus Williams and partner Reilly Opelka exited against Karolina Muchova and Andrey Rublev, losing 4-2, 5-4. Italy's reigning champions Andrea Vavassori and Sara Errani ousted second seeds Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz 4-2, 4-2. Earlier Tuesday, world number one Jannik Sinner's withdrawal from the mixed doubles was confirmed as expected. Sinner, who retired due to illness in the first set of his Cincinnati Open final with Alcaraz on Monday, was due to partner Katerina Siniakova in the doubles. Sinner and Siniakova were replaced in the draw by the American duo of Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison. This year's US Open mixed doubles competition is being held over Tuesday and Wednesday in the week before the main singles draws get under way. The tournament is using a modified scoring system, with short sets to four games, no-advantage scoring, tie-breakers at four-all and a 10-point match tie-break in lieu of a third set. The final will be a best-of-three set match to six games, featuring no-advantage scoring, with tie-breakers at six-all and a 10-point match tie-breaker instead of a third set, with the winning pairing pocketing $1 million. — AFP
Observer
03-08-2025
- Observer
Al Alawi stars at 2025 aquatics in Singapore
MUSCAT: Omani international referee Abdulmonem bin Khamis al Alawi marked another significant milestone in his illustrious officiating career by successfully completing his duties at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships which concluded recently in Singapore. A prominent figure in the world of open water swimming, Al Alawi once again managed to demonstrate his elite expertise and professionalism on the global stage. As a member of the International Technical Committee for Open Water Swimming, Al Alawi officiated in several major events throughout the prestigious championship, which featured the world's top aquatic athletes, including Leon Marchand (France), Cameron McEvoy (Australia), Lani Pallister (Australia), Florian Wellbrock (Germany), Ichika Kajimoto (Japan), Noe Ponti (Switzerland), Hubert Kos (Hungary) and Nicolo Martinenghi (Italy). Oman's Al Alawi delivered an outstanding performance throughout the tournament and this solidified his reputation as one of the most respected officials in aquatic sports. His responsibilities reflected the confidence placed in him by the organisers and the World Aquatics. Speaking to Observer from Singapore, Abdulmonem said:' It is always an honour to represent your country in a high profile event like the World Championship. Attending the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore was a great milestone in my umpiring career. I am grateful to World Aquatics for their continued trust and confidence in my capabilities. A special thanks goes to the Oman Aquatics Association OAA as well for their unwavering support throughout the years.' ' I had key roles in officiating and managing various open water swimming events at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships. I have been assigned as Referee for the newly introduced 4x1500m Mixed Relay, which featured 23 teams and received widespread praise for its execution. Also, I led the judging panel for the Men's 10km race and served as the delegation head for the Women's 10km event, beside being the timekeeper for both the Men's and Women's 5km races. Furthermore, I supervised safety protocols for the 3km races in both categories,' he ended. Hailing from Sur, Oman, Al Alawi began his journey in swimming in 1986 and in 1995, became the first Omani referee to obtain an international licence in the sport. Over the decades, he has served as a pioneer for Omani representation in aquatic sports on the international level. Al Alawi officiated his third consecutive Olympic Games as he was appointed as the chief referee for the Men's and Women's 10km Marathon Swimming events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, following previous appearances in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
Times of Oman
23-07-2025
- Times of Oman
Qatar announces bid to host 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games
DOHA: The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) announced a bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. If successful, the Gulf state would become the first country from the Middle East and North Africa region to host the event. Qatar hosted the men's FIFA World Cup in 2022 and already has "95 percent of the required sports infrastructure in place to host the Games," and "a comprehensive national plan to ensure 100 percent readiness of all facilities," said QOC president Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani. 'This move underscores the State of Qatar's unwavering commitment to supporting the Olympic and Paralympic Movements and its keen interest in playing an active role in the advancement of global sport,' a QOC statement said. It added: 'Building on the monumental success of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, we reaffirm our readiness to bring the world together under the banner of the Olympic values just as we did in 2022, when Doha welcomed over one million traveling fans from around the globe. "Our journey to 2022 was one of tremendous growth. The path toward 2036 will build on that foundation with a new kind of legacy: an achievement that crowns Qatar's efforts to develop skills and create economic opportunities for all its people. 'This plan is rooted in a long-term vision aimed at building a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable legacy. Our objective goes beyond simply organising a successful event, we aim to deliver a global experience that reinforces the values of inclusivity, sustainability and international collaboration.' The new IOC president, Kirsty Coventry, said last month that her organisation would be reviewing the process for determining Games hosts. Other confirmed bids for 2036 include Istanbul (Turkey), Ahmedabad (India), Nusantara (Indonesia) and Santiago (Chile). Countries considering bids reportedly include Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Egypt, Italy, Germany, Denmark and Canada. Qatar previously bid to host the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, which were ultimately awarded to Rio and Tokyo. The Summer Olympics are scheduled for Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane, Australia, in 2032. Doha, the Qatari capital, is scheduled to host the Asian Games in 2030, a year after Saudi Arabia stages the Asian Winter Games in Trojena.
