Seeb beat Jordan’s Al Karak to enter last 16 of Arab TT

MUSCAT: Seeb Club booked their spot in the last 16 round after securing a crucial 3–1 victory over Jordan’s Al Karak Club in Group 5 of the Arab Table Tennis Clubs Championship, which is underway in Muscat until Thursday.
A the main hall of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher, Muhannad al Balushi, Bilal al Rashdi and Hamid Shamas managed to show top game and guide the team into the next level of the tournament. Seeb met Egypt’s Enppi club, one of the leading favourites for the title, late on Monday.
Seeb finished second in their group, just behind Egypt’s Tagdeef Aswan Club, who topped the standings after defeating Seeb 3–0 and also beating Jordan’s Al Karak 3–0.
Tuesday’s schedule will feature the completion of the women’s preliminary rounds alongside the men’s classification matches for positions 9th to 16th and 17th to 24th.
Egypt’s ENPPI Club began their campaign with a commanding 3–1 victory over Iraq’s Naft Al Shamal SC, before defeating Qatar’s Al Sadd 3–0 in the evening session to secure qualification.
Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad, led by professional player Omar Assar, also made a strong start with a hard-fought 3–2 victory against Egypt’s Petrojet, followed by a convincing 3–0 win over Syria’s Al Salamiyah to book their place in the next round.

In Group 3, Bahrain Club swept aside Morocco’s Wydad 3–0 before also defeating UAE’s Shabab Al Ahli 3–0, ensuring their advancement to the following round of the event. Similarly, Qatar’s Al Arabi made a flawless start in Group 4 with back-to-back 3–0 wins over Kuwait’s Al Yarmouk and Oman’s Salalah Club, confirming their spot in the second round.
In other results, Bahrain’s Saar Club overcame Kuwait’s Al Sahel (3–1) and Djibouti’s Coast Guard Club (3–1) to progress, while Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah edged Kuwait’s Al Fahaheel 3–2 before the Kuwaiti side bounced back with a 3–1 victory against Syria’s Al Rowad. Iraq’s Ghaz Al Junoob narrowly defeated Qatar Club 3–2 in Group 8, though the Qatari side, featuring Nigerian star Quadri Aruna, recovered to beat Oman’s Ibri 3–0 later in the evening.
Oman’s other representatives Salalah and Ibri ended their campaign at the group stage. Ibri received two losses against Iraq’s Ghaz Al Junoob and Qatar Club while Salalah also suffered two defeats against Qatar’s Al Arabi and Kuwait’s Al Yarmook club. Despite their losses, the Omani clubs players gained the desired exposure and experience ahead of the forthcoming local events.