Spain defeat Oman in opener of Beach Handball championship
MUSCAT, JUNE 18
The Oman U-17 national beach handball team began their campaign at the 2025 IHF Men's Junior Beach Handball World Championship with a challenging match against Spain. The national team players suffered to a 2-0 loss against the European giants in straight sets (12-24, 12-24) in their opening Group A fixture.
Despite the defeat, Oman's junior stars showed strong display and promising performance beside their determination against one of the tournament favorites and a strong contender for the championship title. Spain, the 2018 Youth Olympic gold medalists, showcased their experience and clinical execution throughout both halves. Oman's standout performers were Yazan al Buraiki and Imad al Ghailani, who managed to contribute the majority of the team's points and created several offensive threats with their agility and sharp movement during the opening match. The tough encounter, however, also highlighted Spain's defensive strength, particularly their goalkeeper, who was a dominant presence throughout and thwarted several Omani scoring opportunities. With the triumph, Spain gained their first winning points while Oman met Puerto Rico late on Wednesday. The chances still high for the qualification to the second round due to Iran's withdrawal from the group.
The first half saw Oman earned an initial possession after a strong defensive effort by Salim al Oraimi, but the team was unable to capitalise on early chances. Spain quickly bounced back and gained a two-point lead but Oman equalised through Yazan al Buraiki's aggressive play, bringing the score to 4-4. A series of missed chances and continued brilliance from Spain's goalkeeper allowed the Spanish team to pull away. Oman's head coach, Jaber Yaqub al Balushi, called a timeout to regroup but Spain extended their lead as they ended the first half at 24-12.
In the following half, a similar scenario were delivered by national team players. Oman fought hard to gain momentum as Al Buraiki and Al Ghailani were stepping up. The match was tied as they reached to 6-6 draw in the early minutes but Spain gradually widened the gap to 14-6. After another timeout, Oman attempted a comeback as Al Ghailani made several successful runs down the right flank, scoring vital points. However, Spain maintained their dominance and sealed the match by taking the second half 24-12.
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