Strong Debut for Sepaktakraw and Pickleball in Oman’s Amateur Sports Scene

From the very first whistle, the forum kicked off with a different spirit, as the inaugural Oman Sepaktakraw and Pickleball Championships began amid a remarkable turnout and highly competitive atmosphere. The excent reflected the players’ eagerness to experience new sports and showcase their abilities.

In the singles competition, Ahmed Abdullah earned a hard-fought win over Asaad Khalfan (2–1), while Faisal Khalfan defeated Riyadh Al-Mufriji (2–0). In Group B, Mohammed Ayoub secured a convincing victory against Ali Badr (2–0), and Abdullah Saif overcame Muhannad Hamood with the same score.

In the doubles (youth category), the team of Salem × Al-Hajris stood out with two consecutive wins against Anas × Hamza (2–1) and Yousuf × Ali Imad (2–1).

Pickleball offered equally thrilling action. Erica & Brian opened with an 11–2 win over Basak & Ahmed, followed by Brian & Dan defeating Basak & Kelly (11–6). Kelly & Dan then won against Erica & Ahmed (11–6). Other results included Basak & Erica’s 11–7 win over Kelly & Ahmed, Basak & Dan’s dominant 11–2 victory against Brian & Ahmed, and Basak & Brian edging Erica & Kelly 11–10 in a nail-biter.

On the individual leaderboard, Brian led with five wins from six matches, Dan scored the most points (62), Basak collected four wins, Kelly three, Erica two, while Ahmed, despite full participation, is yet to secure a win.

Mohammed bin Saeed Al Niyadi, Head of the Amateur Sports Department, said the second edition builds on last year’s success we focused this year on sports that resonated with youth Sepaktakraw, Pickleball, and Archery and launched three official championships at once. He praised the strong turnout and professional management, adding that we can proudly say we started strong and look forward to building a lasting foundation for these sports in Oman.