Oman sailors clinch silver in ‘Optimist' team category

Observer

06-04-2025

AHMED AL KAABI
MUSCAT, APRIL 6
The actions of the GCC Beach Games "Muscat 2025" competitions are underway for the third consecutive day in Muscat beaches. Oman sailing team delivered an outstanding show in the Optimist category for teams beside UAE team sailors who managed to end as the topper in the group order to clinch the gold medal in the opening day. Oman's sailors came in second position and won the silver medal while Kuwait sailors were in third place and claimed bronze medal. The competition for the other categories will run until Thursday as the medals ceremony will take place in the concluding day of all the events. Sailing Competitions began at Al Mouj Marina on Sunday morning. The opening day of the event saw intense competition among the participating countries in Optimist category for teams.
Oman's sailor Hadeel al Mushaifri from the national sailing team said that this is a significant milestone in her sports journey to compete at the beach games. ' This is my debut participation in an external event and it is my first experience competing at the Gulf level in the girls' small boats (Optimist) category,' she said
'Our hopes are very high in this event as a young women's team will compete with high ambitions. This tournament presents a new challenge for us and a unique opportunity to reflect the hard work we have put in during training and intensive camps in preparation for the competition.' She ended
Handball beach
Oman Beach Handball Team Secures Second Consecutive Victory with Deserved Win Over Bahrain Oman Beats Bahrain to Secure Second Straight Win as UAE Edges Saudi Arabia in Thrilling Shootout. The Omani national beach handball team continued its impressive form in the tournament, securing a second consecutive victory by defeating Bahrain in straight sets. The match took place on the sand court at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher.
The first set was filled with excitement and a rapid exchange of points between both sides. Bahrain opened the scoring through their dynamic player Adam, taking advantage of Oman's shaky start. Oman missed an early equalising opportunity through Abdulhakim al Siyabi. Bahraini player Ali Mahdi extended their lead, but Saeed al Hosani narrowed the gap before Al Siyabi levelled the score at 4-4.
The first set continued to swing back and forth, with Ali Abdulhassan scoring again for Bahrain. However, Oman's Mohannad al Zarafi quickly responded. Al Siyabi then gave Oman the lead, followed by another goal from Ali al Jabri, increasing the lead to 10-6 in Oman's favour. Oman maintained control, with Al Zarafi adding another goal. Despite attempts by Bahrain's Mahdi Ali to close the gap, Oman secured the first set with a score of 15-12.
In the second set, Oman sustained its dominance, opening the scoring again through Al Zarafi. Both teams then exchanged points, but goals from Al Zarafi and Al Hosani extended Oman's lead to six points. Despite Bahrain's late pressure, Oman held firm to finish the match with a well-earned 20-14 victory.
UAE Triumphs Over Saudi Arabia in Thrilling Penalty Shootout
In another exciting match in the tournament, the UAE national team edged past Saudi Arabia in a dramatic penalty shootout, winning 6-4 after the two teams split the regular sets.
The UAE took the first set with a 13-8 score, but Saudi Arabia came back strongly in the second set, winning it 14-8, forcing the match into a shootout. In the end, it was the Emiratis who emerged victorious.
Soccer Beach
The Asian Cup runners up will commence their campaign on Monday as they will take on Bahrain on Monday. The match will kick off at 8:30 at sands court at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. In another match, UAE will face Saudi Arabia in another clash. Coach Talib Hilal will target for a strong start and will aim to secure the three essential points in their opening match. The team will head into the competition on a high note after finishing as runners-up in the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup which concluded recently in Thailand and after the team delivered an impressive performance during the event.
Oman head coach will rely on the same squad who represented the team including: Younis al Owaisi, Amjad al Hamdani, Noah al Zadjali, Sami al Balushi and other players in the squad.
National Paragliding Team Wins Silver and Bronze Medals
The national paragliding team secured the silver and bronze medals during the paragliding competitions at the 3rd GCC Beach Games, which is underway in Muscat until Friday. United Arab Emirates claimed first place and the gold medal in the senior singles category. The competition featured 14 participants representing three countries including Oman, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. The competitions took place at Al Hail Beaches in Al Seeb.
UAE athlete Abdullah al Hammadi took first place and the gold medal after he received 2350 points while Oman's athlete Khalil al Toubi won the silver medal with 2175 points while fellow Omani Abdulaziz al Thuhli secured the bronze with 2000 points.
The championship featured strong competition among the participants. The winners were honoured by Eng Khalfan bin Saleh al Naabi, member of the Oman Olympic Committee and Chairman of Oman Basketball Association.