Al Darmaki wins singles title; Al Mashani, Abdullatif claim doubles

Muscat: The Omani Players Badminton Championship concluded at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher after two days of competition, held on April 30 and May 1, with strong contests in both the men’s singles and doubles events.
The closing ceremony was held under the auspices of Dr Abdulrahim al Daroushi, Chairman of the Oman Racket Sports Committee, in the presence of badminton officials and followers of the game in the Sultanate of Oman.
The men’s doubles competition was played in a group-stage format, giving pairs the opportunity to contest several matches before the final standings were decided. The singles event, meanwhile, followed a knockout system, adding greater intensity to each round as players competed for a place on the podium.

In the men’s doubles final, Ali al Maashani and Salah Abdullatif secured the title after a hard-fought 2-1 victory, underlining their consistency and coordination throughout the competition. Marwan al Ajili and Mohammed Moslem finished second after a strong run to the final.
The third-place honours in the doubles category were shared by two pairs: Mohammed al Muqrashi and Abdulaziz al Hinai, alongside Sultan al Shaibani and Yaarub al Shaibani, who both delivered solid performances during the tournament.
Following his men’s doubles title victory, Salah Abdullatif expressed his delight with the achievement, praising the strong competitive atmosphere and the high level of organisation throughout the championship. He said the tournament brought together a good mix of experienced players, young talents and members of Oman’s junior national teams, which added to the technical value of the event.

'It was a strong and competitive championship, with fair contests between all participating teams. The presence of players from different age groups, including junior national team players, gave the event a special character', Salah said.
He added that the title was the result of focused work and strong support from Taqah Club, which he represented during the tournament.
'The level of the participating players was high, and that always pushes every player to give more. We faced strong opponents on our way to the final, but we managed to maintain our focus and win the title. I am pleased with this achievement, and I hope such tournaments will continue to support the wider development and spread of badminton in Oman,' he added.

In the men’s singles category, Khalil al Darmaki was crowned champion after winning the final 2-0 by walkover. Sultan al Shaibani finished runner-up, adding a singles silver medal to his doubles podium finish.
The third-place positions in the singles event went to Nasser al Jabri and Salem al Maqbali, who both reached the latter stages of the competition following competitive displays.
The tournament formed part of the committee’s efforts to provide regular competitive platforms for Omani badminton players and to strengthen the technical level of the game across different categories.