Muscat, feb 5 - The fourth edition of the UTSC Gulf Hockey Fiesta, being organised under the patronage of the Oman Hockey Association (OHA) and Asian Hockey Federation (AHF), will be held on February 8th and 9th at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher.
A total of 12 teams will be participating in the hockey festival with eight local teams and four international teams in the fray.
The inauguration of the UTSC Gulf Hockey Fiesta will be at 6.30 pm on February 8th. The matches will be held from 2 pm to 11 pm.
On February 9th, the matches will be held from 2 pm to 9 pm.
Exhibition matches featuring Indian schools will also be held with boys and girls of Indian School Maabelah and Indian School Wadi Kabir taking part.
The matches will be held at 3 pm.
The final of the tournament will be held on February 9th at 8 pm.
The tournament will be held in a six-a-side format with a maximum of nine players in each team. The 12 teams will be divided into four groups of three teams each. The winner from each group will enter the quarterfinals while the second and third placed teams from each of the groups will play a knock-out match for a place in the last eight.
The tournament includes Omani teams, showcasing the interest and enthusiasm of Omanis in this sport. Hockey is fast gaining recognition and acceptance as a popular sport for young Omanis and Indians. The tournament will generate international interest from these teams.
Oman Hockey Association (OHA) chairman Talib al Wahaibi was excited about the event and had words of encouragement.
““We are all set for a successful and a high calibre international tournament. It is a world-class event. And we are proud it is happening in Oman. We are confident that this event will promote tourism in a big way and provide a platform for foreign players to exhibit their skills in hockey to the Omani sports loving public.”
Gulf Hockey Fiesta will add a special attraction to draw in more audiences including families under the banner The Great 2019 COOK –OFF Contest, supported by Foodlands and Shahi Spices, which will bring in a lot families to this event.
Oneza Tabish, the famous food blogger & admin of What’s cooking in Oman page — will be chief guest of the cookery contest. A celebrity guest From Kerala, Raj Kalesh, will host the cookery contest. Kalesh is popular for his TV shows and magic shows. In addition we have DJ, live music and entertainment, dance and magic show.
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