Ahli Sidab crowned U18 Hockey League champions

Observer

20 hours ago

Muscat, Aug 13
Ahli Sidab Club were crowned champions of the 2025 U18 Hockey League after delivering a dominant attacking display in the final, defeating Seeb Club with a resounding 10-1 victory, leaving the latter to settle for second place. In the third-place playoff, Al Ittihad Club edged past Masirah Club 1-0 to claim the bronze medal.
In the individual awards, Abbas al Noufli from Masirah was named the league's top scorer with 10 goals, while Issa al Raisi from Seeb won the best goalkeeper award and Saad al Fazari from Ahli Sidab was chosen as the best player of the tournament.
The closing ceremony was held under the auspices of Dr Marwan al Juma, Chairman of the Oman Hockey Association, at the Hockey Oman Stadium in Al Amerat, where he crowned the winning teams and honoured the outstanding players.
The final match started at a high tempo, with Ahli Sidab imposing their dominance from the opening minutes. Said al Fazari opened the scoring in the third minute, followed by a second goal from Rashid al Alawi via a penalty corner in the ninth minute. Despite Seeb's efforts to respond, including shots from Abdulkarim al Balushi and Al Yazan al Balushi, the first quarter ended with Ahli Sidab leading 2-0.
In the second quarter, Seeb pressed forward in search of a goal, but a quick counterattack led by Eyad al Alawi brought the third goal. Said al Fazari then scored his second in the 20th minute, followed by a fifth from Maitham al Wahaibi in the 27th and a sixth from Saad al Fazari in the 30th minute, giving Ahli Sidab a comfortable 6-0 lead by half-time.
The third quarter saw Ahli Sidab maintain their attacking superiority, with Said al Fazari completing his hat-trick in the 34th minute and Rashid al Alawi netting the eighth in the 38th minute, keeping the team firmly ahead at 8-0.
Early in the final quarter, Al Yazan al Balushi scored Seeb's only goal, but Saad al Fazari quickly responded with a ninth goal from a penalty corner in the 52nd minute. Mohammed al Nasri then sealed the scoring with the 10th goal, ending the match 10-1 and confirming Ahli Sidab as champions.
Al Ittihad and Masirah players in action.
Al Ittihad secured third place in a tightly contested match against Masirah that remained goalless for two quarters. Masirah threatened through Abbas al Noufli, Hassan al Balushi and Al Fadl al Noufli, but Al Ittihad replied with organised attacks and strong goalkeeping. The breakthrough came in the third quarter when Omair Awad scored the only goal of the game from a precise through-pass. Despite Masirah's persistent pressure in the final quarter, Al Ittihad held on for a valuable victory that earned them the bronze medal.
KEY FIXTURE
Ahmed al Darmaki, Board Member of the OHA, affirmed that the conclusion of the U18 League was a great success, noting that the competition is a key fixture in the association's calendar and a vital part of its strategy to prepare national teams and build a solid foundation for the future. He emphasised that the league offers an ideal opportunity to identify promising talent and select players for the national U18 team for upcoming competitions, adding that focusing on this age group is the first step in developing the sport and sustaining achievements.
Al Darmaki also highlighted the association's commitment to monitoring player performance through coaching staff who assess physical, technical and psychological skills, creating both individual and team training plans to enhance abilities. He stressed that work with these players continues beyond the league through training camps and development programmes, a strategy that he said contributed significantly to the senior national team's success in winning the Asian Hockey Federation Cup this year, with many players coming from these programmes.