Shooting Stars crowned champions in women's basketball tourney
Published: 05:03 PM,Mar 21,2025 | EDITED : 09:03 PM,Mar 21,2025
Shooting Stars pose with the trophy.
Muscat: Shooting Stars clinched the title of the fourth Women's Ramadan Basketball Tournament after an exciting final match, narrowly defeating OQ8 39–37. The final was held at the secondary hall of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher, under the auspices of Her Highness Sayyida Afra bint Talal bin Tariq al Said. The event was attended by Khawla al Rawahiya, Director of the Women's Sports Department at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Heba al Naabiya, Head of the Women's Basketball Committee, along with a number of parents and basketball enthusiasts.
The final was filled with suspense and closely matched performances. OQ8 started strong, dominating the first and second quarters thanks to a well-balanced offensive and defensive strategy. However, Shooting Star made a powerful comeback in the second half, managing to tie the score at 37–37 before sealing the victory in the final moments with a two-point lead—thanks to a heroic team performance.
After the match, the event patron honoured the winning teams and outstanding players in a celebratory closing ceremony. In the individual awards category, Omani Shams al Duha al Khanjari from Shooting Stars was recognised as the top-scorer of the match, while Persa from OQ8 earned the overall top-scorer award. Ghadeer al Ismaili from the Al Amerat team was named Best Player among Omanis, and Aya Mendoza from Betal was awarded Best Player among the professional players. The Best Rising Star award went to promising young Omani player Sarah al Said from Shooting Stars. In the team awards, Shooting Stars received gold medals and the championship trophy, OQ8 claimed silver medals and the second-place trophy, while Betal secured bronze medals and the third-place trophy.
Khawla al Rawahiya expressed her delight at the remarkable success of this fourth edition of the tournament, which was organised in collaboration between the Women’s Sports Department and the Women’s Committee of the OBA. She noted the noticeable improvement in the technical level of the participating teams.
She affirmed that the final match was full of excitement and competitiveness, reflecting the close levels between the two teams. She also highlighted the emergence of several promising Omani talents during the tournament who demonstrated outstanding performances, indicating a bright future for the national team. Al Rawahiya also praised the support provided by Pocari Sweat, which contributed to the event’s success.
She added that this edition stood out with the significant participation of resident professional players in Oman, which enhanced the competitive spirit of the tournament and provided valuable exposure for national team players.
Heba al Naabiya also praised the high level of the final match, pointing out that the tournament achieved its goals of supporting and developing women’s basketball. She emphasised the emergence of Omani players who at times outperformed their professional counterparts. She confirmed that the success of this edition will motivate the Women's Committee to expand its tournament agenda in 2025 in preparation for upcoming events, including the Arab Youth Championship in Dhofar Governorate and the Al Mouj Tournament.
The final was filled with suspense and closely matched performances. OQ8 started strong, dominating the first and second quarters thanks to a well-balanced offensive and defensive strategy. However, Shooting Star made a powerful comeback in the second half, managing to tie the score at 37–37 before sealing the victory in the final moments with a two-point lead—thanks to a heroic team performance.
After the match, the event patron honoured the winning teams and outstanding players in a celebratory closing ceremony. In the individual awards category, Omani Shams al Duha al Khanjari from Shooting Stars was recognised as the top-scorer of the match, while Persa from OQ8 earned the overall top-scorer award. Ghadeer al Ismaili from the Al Amerat team was named Best Player among Omanis, and Aya Mendoza from Betal was awarded Best Player among the professional players. The Best Rising Star award went to promising young Omani player Sarah al Said from Shooting Stars. In the team awards, Shooting Stars received gold medals and the championship trophy, OQ8 claimed silver medals and the second-place trophy, while Betal secured bronze medals and the third-place trophy.
Khawla al Rawahiya expressed her delight at the remarkable success of this fourth edition of the tournament, which was organised in collaboration between the Women’s Sports Department and the Women’s Committee of the OBA. She noted the noticeable improvement in the technical level of the participating teams.
She affirmed that the final match was full of excitement and competitiveness, reflecting the close levels between the two teams. She also highlighted the emergence of several promising Omani talents during the tournament who demonstrated outstanding performances, indicating a bright future for the national team. Al Rawahiya also praised the support provided by Pocari Sweat, which contributed to the event’s success.
She added that this edition stood out with the significant participation of resident professional players in Oman, which enhanced the competitive spirit of the tournament and provided valuable exposure for national team players.
Heba al Naabiya also praised the high level of the final match, pointing out that the tournament achieved its goals of supporting and developing women’s basketball. She emphasised the emergence of Omani players who at times outperformed their professional counterparts. She confirmed that the success of this edition will motivate the Women's Committee to expand its tournament agenda in 2025 in preparation for upcoming events, including the Arab Youth Championship in Dhofar Governorate and the Al Mouj Tournament.