Latest news with #Muscat2025
Observer
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Oman edge Philippines to move into semis
MUSCAT: International Handball Federation (IHF) President Dr Hassan Moustafa was all praise for the hosts Sultanate of Oman for its excellent organisation of the underway AHF Asian Beach Handball Championship – Muscat 2025 which acts as qualifiers to the IHF World Championship. 'The Sultanate of Oman had improved and shaped up very well in their organising capabilities specially when it comes to the big events including the continental and global championships. Oman has once again demonstrated its exceptional capability in hosting continental and international tournaments with high efficiency and professionalism. Oman is no stranger to hosting global events. The Sultanate of Oman previously organised the IHF Beach Handball World Championship in 2012 successfully and it reaffirms these days its readiness and capability to host the world's largest handball events. The country offers an integrated infrastructure, qualified human resources, strong logistical and organisational capacities, and institutional support from the government and relevant stakeholders,' the IHF chief said. Oman Muhannad al Zarafi was named as best player of the match. 'What truly distinguishes Oman is the presence of strong sports leadership, a passionate and loyal fanbase, and highly skilled players who bring both talent and spirit to the game. These factors strongly support the growth and future of handball in the country,' the Egyptian official said. Speaking on the ongoing Asian Championship in Muscat, Dr Moustafa responded: 'The Asian tournament has showcased a high technical level with exciting competition and the emergence of new talents across participating teams. The presence of an elite group of referees and coaches has positively contributed to the quality and credibility of the tournament,' he said. Dr Moustafa affirmed that the IHF's eagerness to further enhance cooperation with the Oman Handball Association in the near future, praising Oman's strategic vision and global commitment to the development and promotion of handball. 'I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to the Government of the Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, the Oman Handball Association, and all public and private entities that contributed to the success of this important Asian championship, which also serves as a qualifier for the IHF Beach Handball World Championship. Oman has truly set a benchmark in excellence.' International Handball Federation President Dr Hassan Moustafa attends a match in Muscat. OMAN INTO SEMIS Oman advanced to the semifinals of the AHF Asian Handball Beach Championship following their thrilling 2-1 over Philippines in penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw. Oman Muhannad al Zarafi was named as best player of the match. This is the second time in the tournament that Muhannad was named as best player as he had previously earned the honour in the match against Hong Kong. Earlier in the group stage, Oman's goalkeeper Hudhaifa al Siyabi received the Best Player award in the match against the Maldives. Furthermore, Oman's Asaad al Hasani took the Best Player award in Oman's match against Saudi Arabia in the concluding group fixture. In earlier quarterfinal matches, Pakistan overcame Saudi Arabia with a 2-1 win while Jordan beat Hong Kong 2-0. In the last quarterfinal clash, Iran secured a 2-0 victory over the Maldives. In the women's competition, Philippines defeated Hong Kong 2-0, and Vietnam continued their dominant form with a 2-0 win over India. Vietnam maintained the top position in the standings, followed by the Philippines in second, India in third and Hong Kong in fourth. Meanwhile, the IHF has announced an expansion of the 2026 Beach Handball World Championship as the number of participating teams were increased to 32 including 16 men's teams and 16 women's teams. From the Asian continent, the top two teams in each category from the Muscat 2025 championship will secure the qualification.
Observer
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Oman blank Saudi to lead Group A, Iran top Group B
MUSCAT: Oman's national beach handball team led Group A at the conclusion of the group stage in the 10th Men's and Women's Asian Beach Handball Championship 'Muscat 2025' which also acts as a qualifier for the 2026 Beach Handball World Championship. Oman team, coached by Hamood al Hasani, earned full six points from three games including the last victory over Saudi Arabia 2-0 in the final group match besides the two victories over Maldives and Hong Kong. Saudi Arabia ended in second place with four points followed by Hong Kong in third with two points and Maldives in fourth place with no points. Oman's Assad al Hasani, Said al Hasani and their teammates delivered a top match against Saudi Arabia as they entered to the second stage of the tournament with high morale to go further. Oman player attempts a shot at Saudi goal. In Group B, Asian heavyweights Iran claimed the top spot with eight points after a convincing 2-0 win over the Philippines in the concluding round. Jordan came in second with six points, Pakistan third with four points, while the Philippines and India followed with two and nil points respectively. In the women's competition, two key matches will take place on Tuesday at the sand court of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. The Philippines will face India at 6 pm and it will be followed by Vietnam clash against Hong Kong at 7 pm. The women's competition is being held in a double round-robin format with the top two teams qualifying for the 2026 IHF Beach Handball World Championship. Vietnam currently are leading the group standings by six points and followed by the Philippines with four points and then India with two points while Hong Kong with no points are at the bottom. Oman during an attack at Saudi post. FULL EFFORT Oman's Asaad al Hasani said the team will deliver their full efforts in the forthcoming round after beating Saudi. "The match started strongly from both teams and we lost the focus in the beginning of the first half but we managed to return to the match before end of the opening set. In the second half, we dominated and reached to the opponent's danger area and earned the required points to end the match on a victory note," he said. Saudi team manager Othman Ahmed praised his players' impressive show at the group stage. 'Thanks to the players for their outstanding performance in the group stage. Now, our target is to focus in the next match against Pakistan in quarterfinals (which took place on Monday night). The coaching staff reviewed the opponent's strength and weak points. Our main objective is secure one of the slots for the 2026 IHF Beach Handball World Championship,' he said. Responding to an inquiry on the tight match schedules, he said: 'All players were trained accordingly to play many games within one week time. Also, our last presence in the GCC Beach Games in Muscat was an advantage for the team as it was a good preparation and we adopted with the environment ahead of the Asian event,' he added.
Observer
12-04-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Oman secures top spot in GCC Beach Games
MUSCAT, APRIL 12 Oman athletes presented top show from the recently concluded GCC Beach Games (Muscat 2025) on Friday night in Muscat beaches after securing 45 medals and ending in the top spot of the overall order. Oman's medal tally ended with an impressive 45 medals including 20 gold, 18 silver, and 7 bronze. United Arab Emirates ended the games as runners up with 22 medals (8 gold, 8 silver, and 6 bronze) and it is followed by Saudi Arabia in third place with 18 medals (4 gold, 6 silver, and 8 bronze). Bahrain came fourth with 17 medals (4 gold, 4 silver, and 9 bronze) while Qatar ranked fifth with 7 medals (3 gold, 1 silver, and 3 bronze). Kuwait came sixth with 8 medals (2 silver and 6 bronze). The tournament ran for seven days and featured participation of all the six GCC countries. On the final day of the tournament, Oman national beach soccer team was crowned champion for the third consecutive time after a resounding 7-2 victory over their Saudi Arabia counterparts in the match held on Friday night. The UAE team came in second place, while the Saudi team finished third in the overall tournament standings. The closing ceremony of the tournament was held under the auspices of Azzan bin Qasim al Busaidy, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Tourism, and attended by Basil bin Ahmed al Rawas, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Sports and Youth. During the ceremony, the winning teams were honoured. The tournament flag was also lowered and handed over to Abdullah Hassan Hashem, head of the Qatari delegation participating in this edition. UAE secures second place with commanding 5-1 win over Kuwait. Saudi Arabia settled for third place and the bronze medal with 6 points. Oman's beach handball team also secured the gold medal after defeating Saudi Arabia 2–0 in the final match. Bahrain took the silver medal while UAE claimed the bronze. In beach volleyball, Oman's team (2), composed of pair Mazin al Hashmi and Hood al Jalbobi, earned the silver medal after losing in the final to Qatar's team (1) in straight sets. Oman's team (1) finished fourth after a loss to Bahrain's team (2) who took third place in the third and fourth playoff. Oman's Swimmer impress Oman's open water swimmers delivered a successful campaign as they won the gold medal in the 5-kilometre race with Saudi Arabia taking second and Bahrain third. In the singles 5-kilometre race, Oman's swimmer Ayman al Qasmi won silver while his teammate Nidhal al Harrasi claimed bronze and Saudi Arabia swimmer Mohammed al Zaki took gold. Oman had earlier won gold in the team 10-kilometre race and followed by Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. In the singles 10-kilometre event, Ayman al Qasmi again won silver and Nidal al Harrasi secured bronze while Mohammed al Zaki won gold. Top show by Athletics team Oman's athletes concluded the tournament strongly on the track as they bagged five more medals on the concluding day of competition. Shaikha al Hinai delivered an outstanding performance to win gold in the women's triple jump, while her teammate Alaa al Zadjali secured silver. The bronze went to UAE's Abeer al Balushi. The men's 4x60 metre relay team worked hard as one team to clam gold with a strong and synchronised performance ahead of the UAE and Saudi Arabia teams. It was the same scenario by the women team in the women's 4x60 metre relay as Oman dominated once again by securing gold, with the UAE in second and Bahrain third. In the women's high jump, Alia al Mughairi of Oman delivered an exceptional performance to claim gold, followed by the UAE's Alia al Hammadi and Saudi Arabia's Raghad Bouareesh. On the second day of athletics, Oman added five more medals as Mazoon al Alawi grabbed gold in the women's long jump while her teammate Alaa al Zadjali took silver and Saudi's Maryam al Mutairi claimed bronze. In the mile race, Bahrain's Abdulghani Mohammed took first place, followed by Oman's Mohammed al Suleimani in second and Bahrain's John Kipet in third. In the men's high jump, Oman's jumper Salim al Rawahi won gold, and Salim al Yaarubi took silver, while Saudi Arabia's Yahya Majal secured bronze. In the women's mile race, Bahrain's Marta Herbato won gold, her compatriot Bontio Idaw took silver and the UAE's Ruqayya al Marzooqi came third. On the opening day of athletics, Oman's athletes commenced their campaign strongly by winning six medals as Mulham al Balushi won gold in the men's 60-metre sprint followed by his teammate Rashid al Asmi in second and Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Abdullah in third. In the women's 60-metre sprint, Bahrain's Layla Esbezar won gold, while Mazoon al Alawi took silver for Oman and Bahrain's Zainab Mohammed finished third. In the men's high jump, Oman's Fatak Bait Jaboob took gold, Qatar's Hamad Ali finished second and Kuwait's Khalid al Masaad came third. In the men's long jump, Oman's Salem al Yarubi won gold, his teammate Salim al Rawahi earned silver and Kuwait's Mohammed Ahmed took bronze. Sailing claim medals In sailing various events, Oman young sailors dominated with seven medals. In the Optimist general category, Khamis al Shammakhi won silver and teammate Tarteel al Husaini claimed bronze while UAE's Khalifa al Rumaithi won gold. In the girls' Optimist category, Tarteel al Husaini worked hard to claim won gold, Bahrain's Malak al Dosari took silver, and UAE's Madiya al Neyadi claimed bronze. In the Optimist juniors' race, Mohammed al Qasmi won silver, behind UAE's Zayed al Hosaini who took gold, and Qatar's Tamim Khalid took bronze. In the ILCA 4 girls' event, UAE's Marwa al Hammadi took gold, her teammate Al Yazi al Hammadi silver, and Bahrain's Amina Al-Sadiq bronze. In the ILCA 4 boys' race, Oman's Abdul Latif al Qasmi won gold followed by UAE's Mohammed al Marzooqi and Bahrain's Khalifa al Dosari. In the ILCA 6 girls' event, UAE's Dohaa al Bashar won gold, Kuwait's Amina Abdullah took silver and UAE's Kamilia Khalifa won bronze. In the ILCA 6 boys' event, UAE's Othman al Hammadi took gold, Bahrain's Dawood Abdullah came second, and Oman's Mutasim al Farsi claimed bronze. In the ILCA 7 boys' category, Oman's Hassan al Jabri won gold, followed by UAE's Adil al Baskiti and Bahrain's Ahmed Sadiq. On the first day, Oman won silver in the team Optimist event, while the UAE took gold and Kuwait bronze. Bahrain and Qatar placed fourth and fifth respectively. Oman's tent pegging team also excelled by winning two medals on the concluding day. In the singles lance, lemon, and relay events, Aahed al Balushi took silver, while Qatar's Rashid al Dosari won gold and Ali al Adhbah took bronze. In the team event, Oman won gold with riders Hamad al Riyami, Hamed al Raisi, Aahed al Balushi, Safwan al Maamari, and Mohammed al Siyabi. Saudi Arabia came second and Qatar third. On the second day of tent pegging, Hamed al Raisi won gold in the singles sword event, Kuwait's Abdullah al Dehani took silver, and Saudi's Hassan al Asiri won bronze. In the team sword event, Bahrain won gold, Saudi Arabia took silver and Kuwait bronze. On the first day, Oman's Hamed al Riyami won bronze in the singles category, with Qatar's Ali al Adhbah and Saudi's Hassan al Asiri claiming gold and silver respectively. Oman also secured silver in the team event, behind Saudi Arabia and ahead of the UAE. Oman's powered paragliding team won gold in the team event.
Observer
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Oman swimmers add 3 medals on last day
MUSCAT, APRIL 11 The actions of GCC Beach Games (Muscat 2025) concluded after six days of thrilling competition and excitement. On the concluding day on Friday, Oman swimmers outperformed their rivals as they added three more medals in the marathon swimming event. Oman swimming team captured gold medal in the team's marathon swimming event while Saudi Arabia team clinched silver medal. Bahrain team swimmers received bronze medal. In the singles category, Oman swimmer Ayman al Qasmi bagged silver as he cleared the 5 km distance within a timing of 39.68 minutes while Oman's Nidhal al Harrasi ended in third place to secure bronze within a timing of 39.74 minutes. The gold medal went to Saudi Arabia's Mohammed al Zaki as he completed the distance within 39.65 minutes. Earlier on the opening day, Oman swimming team impressed as well with gold in the team category for 10 km distance. Saudi Arabia came second and won the silver while Bahrain finished third and claimed the bronze medal. Oman's Aymen delivered solid performance at the 10 km singles event as he secured silver with a timing of 2:15:48 while Saudi swimmer Mohammed al Zaki captured the gold medal after he covered the distance within 2 hours 15.29 minutes. Oman's Nidhal al Harrasi received bronze medal after he cleared the distance within 2 hours 21.04 minutes. OMAN REMAIN UNBEATEN The Oman beach handball team claimed the championship title, followed by the Bahraini team in second place and the UAE team in third. Oman secured the title undefeated after winning their final against Saudi Arabia with a 2-0 scoreline. The Omani team won the first set 10-9, thanks to a last-second goal by Asaad al Hassani. The team continued their impressive performance in the second set, winning it 14-10. In another matchup, Bahrain defeated the UAE team 2-0. The Bahraini players narrowly clinched the first set 19-18, and despite strong competition in the second set, they managed to secure a convincing 24-13 victory to seal second place in the standings. QATAR'S RASHID WINS GOLD The Oman tent pegging team riders wrapped up their campaign with two more medals. In the individual ring, lemon and relay event, Oman's rider Aahed Khamis al Balushi clinched the silver medal while Qatar's Rashid Fahad al Dosari secured gold and Ali Hamed al Athba from Qatar took home the bronze. In the team category of the same event, Oman claimed the gold and the team included Hamed Nasser al Riyami, Hamad Saif al Raisi, Aahed Khamis al Balushi, Safwan Zayed al Maamari and Mohammed Khamis al Siyabi. Saudi Arabia took second place with riders Abdulrahman Nayef al Harbi, Mudhel Hamed al Qahtani, Khalid al Yami, Hassan Omar al Asiri and Mohammed Anbar al Dosari. Qatar secured third place with the team represented by Ali Hamed al Athba, Ibrahim Jasim al Humaidi, Fahad Mohammed al Kawari, Rashid Fahad al Dosari and Faisal Saad al Hajri.
Observer
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Oman claim marathon swim gold
- Oman bag beach handball gold - Hamed al Raisi takes tent pegging gold - Hosts win five more medals in athletics Oman national swimming team impressed on the opening day of marathon swimming event as they clinched gold medal in the team category for 10 km distance at the GCC Beach Games 'Muscat 2025' which will conclude on Friday. Saudi Arabia came second and won the silver while Bahrain finished third and claimed bronze medal. Oman's swimmer Aymen delivered solid performance in the 10-kilometre individual event as he secured silver medal with a timing of 2 hours 15.48 minutes while Saudi Arabia's Mohammed al Zaki captured the gold after he covered the distance within 2 hours 15.29 minutes. Oman's Nidhal al Harrasi took bronze with a timing of 2 hours 21.04 minutes. Thursday is a rest day for marathon swimming while the concluding event will take place on Friday. OMAN POST FOURTH STRAIGHT WIN Oman were crowned with the gold medal after securing their fourth consecutive win in beach handball, defeating their UAE counterparts 2-0 at the sand court of Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher. The match kicked off with strong performances from both sides. Said al Hosani opened the scoring for Oman, but the UAE quickly equalised. Oman regained momentum as Ali al Jami and Muhannad al Zarifi scored back-to-back goals, bringing Oman's tally to 6–2. Although Emirates' Mubarak Abdullah managed to reduce the gap, Al Zarifi responded promptly to widen the lead again. The Omani trio of Ali al Jami, Said al Hosani and Muhannad al Zarifi continued to shine, helping the team widen the margin further and finish the first half with a clear lead of 18–10. At the start of the second half, the UAE scored the opening goal, but Asaad al Hosani quickly responded to equalise and then gave Oman the lead again. Both teams exchanged chances midway through the half, until Al Zarifi once again extended the lead. The UAE responded by narrowing the gap once more. Ali al Jami added another goal to boost Oman's lead to 8–4. As the match progressed, Oman maintained clear dominance, scoring 10 additional goals against eight for the UAE. The second half ended 18–12 in Oman's favour. BAHRAIN WIN GOLD Oman riders impressed at different tent pegging events. Oman's national team rider Hamed al Raisi clinched the gold medal in the Singles Sword category while Abdullah al Daihani from Kuwait secured second place while Hassan al Asiri from Saudi Arabia came in third and bagged bronze medal. In the team category, Bahrain's national team won the gold medal while Saudi Arabia took second place and Kuwait took the bronze. MAZOON TOPS LONG JUMP Oman athletes dominated in the beach athletics competitions as they booked five medals. In the women's long jump, Mazoon al Alawi claimed the gold while her teammate Alaa al Zadjali won the silver. The third place went to Saudi Arabia's Maryam al Matar. In the mile race event, Bahrain's Abdulghani Mohammed came first while Oman's Mohammed al Sulaimani secured second place after an impressive performance that demonstrated his strong competitiveness. Third place was claimed by Bahraini runner John Kibet in a race that featured excitement until the last moments. In the men's high jump, Oman's Salim al Rawahi clinched gold while his teammate Salim al Yaarubi earned the silver. Third place went to Saudi Arabia's Yahya Majal. OMAN BEAT KUWAIT The Oman beach soccer team secured a well-deserved 3–0 victory over their Kuwaiti counterparts at the sandy pitch of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher. Oman started the match strongly, with Salim al Araimi opening the scoring in the 11th minute of the first period after intercepting the ball at midfield, breaking away towards the Kuwaiti goalkeeper, skillfully dribbling past him and confidently slotting the ball into the net. Just one minute later, Sami al Balushi doubled the lead, capitalising on confusion within the Kuwaiti defence. Despite Kuwait's attempts to narrow the gap, Ahmed al Owaisi struck again at the end of the first period to score the third goal for Oman, ending the first half with a commanding 3–0 lead. In the second and third periods, Oman maintained control and created several chances, The most notable was a powerful shot from Amjad al Hamdani that narrowly missed the right post, while Kuwaiti goalkeeper Tariq al Khaldi made some impressive saves to deny further goals. The Kuwaiti team failed to pose any real threat and the match ended in a clean 3-0 win for Oman. In the other match, Bahrain beat Saudi Arabia 2-0. The first half was intense and evenly matched, with the score tied at 16-16 until the final seconds. Bahrain's Adam al Nasheet clinched the set for his team by scoring the golden goal, ending the set 18-16. In the second set, the Bahraini team continued its strong performance and took control, winning the set 20-18. OMAN TEAM 2 TO MEET QATAR IN FINAL Oman Team 2 advanced to the final following their win over Bahrain Team 2 by 2-0 in the semifinal of beach volleyball event. Oman team (2) is represented by duo of Mazin al Hashmi and Hood al Jalbobi. defeat against Qatar team (1), who ended fourth in the last Olympic Games in Paris, beat Oman team (1) 2-0 to secure slot in the final. Oman team (1) were represented by Mazin al Hashmi and Hood al Jalbobi. In the quarterfinals, Oman's teams (1) and (2) delivered standout performances and secured their places in the semifinals with straight-set victories following their wins over Saudi Arabia team (1) and Oman team (3) by 2-0 respectively.
