Oman to meet Jordan ahead of Asian meet
MUSCAT: Oman national beach handball team players entered on Tuesday the final stage of their preparation for the 10th AHF Asian Men's and Women's Beach Handball Championships which will be hosted in Muscat during May 6 to 15. The domestic camp started on Tuesday at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher which will be the venue for the competition and the preparatory gathering will run until May 4.
On the other side, a 35-member delegation from the Asian Handball Federation (AHF) will arrive in Muscat on Sunday to begin their tasks for the prestigious Asian event.
As part of the ongoing camp, the national team will play two friendly matches against Jordan on Saturday and Sunday. Both matches will serve as a final rehearsal for the coaching staff headed by coach Hamood al Hasani and his assistant coach Jaber al Balushi to evaluate the players' fitness and skill levels and to address both strengths and weaknesses. Also, they will finalise the starting list for the tournament matches.
Oman head coach Hamood al Hasani will supervise the daily training sessions which will be separated into two phases including morning sessions that are focused on indoor training at the sports complex while evening sessions will take place on the sand courts to raise the training intensity as the championship approaches its start.
The coaching staff will opt the final squad of the team on Sunday including 10 players who will represent the national team in the Asian event. The current squad included Nawaf al Hasani, Saud al Hasani, Mohammed al Balushi, Said al Hasani, Yasser al Harthy, Abdulhakim al Siyabi, Bashar al Hinai, Huthaifa al Siyabi, Asaad al Hasani, Ali al Jami, Muhannad al Zarafi, Mahdi al Sulaimani and Said al Hasani.
Oman to meet Jordan ahead of Asian meet
OHA CHIEF MEETS PLAYERS
Oman Handball Association (OHA) Chairman, Moosa Khamis al Balushi, along with the board of directors, met the players in the camp to ensure close follow up on the team's preparations and to achieve full readiness. The chairman and board members met the players and coaching staff as they encouraged them to double their efforts, maintain high focus and work as a unified team.
They praised the technical and administrative staff, along with the players, for their dedication and commitment to training to compete for the Asian title.
Oman is clubbed with Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Maldives in Group A at the 10th AHF Asian Men's Beach Handball championship. Group B comprised of Iran, Philippines, Jordan, Pakistan and India. The women's competition will feature only four teams in one group only including Vietnam, Hong Kong, Philippines and India.
Dr Salim al Ghilani, Head of the Medical Committee, affirmed the committee's full readiness to provide the necessary medical support throughout the tournament to ensure the safety of all players and teams. 'The committee included over 20 members from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, and the Ministry of Health. The on-field medical teams are equipped with the latest emergency equipment, and specialised medical crews will be stationed at game venues, with additional rotating teams covering the hotels,' he said.
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