Oman para-athletics team set for Rabat 2026 World Para Athletics GP

MUSCAT: Oman’s national para athletics team will take part in the Rabat 2026 World Para Athletics Grand Prix, officially staged as the 10th edition of the Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan International Para Athletics Meeting, which will be held in Rabat, Morocco, from April 23 to 25. The event is expected to bring together around 500 athletes from 58 countries at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.
Oman will be represented by a squad of nine athletes, divided into two groups. The first group includes Qusai al Rawahi, who will compete in the 100m and long jump, and 18-year old Othman al Habsi, who will also take part in the 100m and long jump. The group also features Maktoum al Muqbali and Sharifa al Hatmi in shot put and javelin, while Iman Taysir al Shamsi will compete in shot put, discus and javelin.
The second group comprises Taha al Harrasi, who will contest the 100m and long jump, Mohammed al Qasmi in shot put, Fawzi al Hubaishi in javelin and shot put, and Saif al Muqbali, who will race in the 100m and 400m events.
The delegation is headed by Dr Mansoor bin Sultan al Touqi, Chairman of the Oman Paralympic Committee (OPC). The technical staff includes national team technical director and international coach Sami al Razili, national coach Abdullah al Anbari, who oversees running events for the visually impaired, and national coach Awf al Maamari, who supervises throwing events. The delegation also includes physiotherapy specialist Hani al Shammakhi.
ASIAN PARA GAMES
The participation forms part of the Oman Paralympic Committee’s preparations to further develop the athletes’ competitive readiness and help them achieve qualifying standards for the fifth Asian Para Games, scheduled to take place in Japan in October this year. The Rabat event is also considered an important qualifying stop within the Grand Prix circuit, while offering athletes the opportunity to secure official classification or undergo reclassification where required.
In the lead-up to the event, the national team held intermittent training sessions at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher, where the coaching staff worked to raise the athletes’ technical and physical readiness ahead of the Rabat challenge. The committee is hoping the team will deliver strong performances, reach the podium and post qualifying marks for the upcoming continental event.
Dr Mansoor al Touqi said: 'Our participation in the Moulay El Hassan Grand Prix represents an important technical stage in preparing our athletes for upcoming major events, especially the Asian Para Games. We have strong confidence in our athletes and in the work carried out by the technical and administrative teams in recent weeks. We hope this participation will produce positive results and marks that reflect the progress being made by Omani para athletes at the international level.'