Alexandria camp boosts Oman’s emerging basketball talent

MUSCAT: Elite players from the Oman Basketball Association’s Athlete Preparation Centres have concluded their overseas training camp in Alexandria, Egypt, marking another important stage in the association’s long-term player development programme.
The camp, organised by the Oman Basketball Association (OBA) with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth (MoCSY), was held from August 3 to 11 and featured intensive technical and physical training alongside a series of friendly matches against Egyptian clubs. The delegation returned to Muscat International Airport on Wednesday.
The Alexandria camp followed a series of domestic training programmes held after the end of the academic examinations and provided the players with an opportunity to experience a different competitive environment and gain exposure to different coaching and playing styles.

Speaking after the delegation’s arrival, Abu Bakr bin Ahmed al Jahwari, OBA Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the Athlete Preparation Centres Supervisory Committee, said the players had successfully completed their first overseas camp as part of an integrated development programme.
“The overseas camp is part of our plan for developing players at the centres and giving them opportunities to learn, compete and gain experience,” he said.
Al Jahwari described the Alexandria camp as an important step in moving the players beyond the local training environment and exposing them to different competitive demands, stressing that the real value of the camp would be reflected in how its outcomes are used during the next stages of preparation.

He also highlighted the association’s efforts to create a positive environment for the young players and maintain close communication with their families. A communication group involving coaches, parents and delegation officials was used throughout the camp to share videos, photographs and details of the daily programme.
“This allowed parents to remain closely involved in their children’s experience and become genuine partners in their development journey,” he added.
Al Jahwari thanked MoCSY for its continued support and the parents for their trust and cooperation, stressing that the ultimate objective is to develop players with the technical ability, experience, discipline and personality required to progress and represent the Sultanate of Oman with distinction in the future.

VALUABLE COMPETITIVE EXPOSURE
Iskandar al Nabli, General Technical Supervisor of the Athlete Preparation Centres, said the friendly matches represented one of the most important elements of the camp as they allowed the technical staff to assess players under competitive conditions that could not be fully replicated during regular training.
The Omani players faced Al Ittihad Alexandria, Sporting, Smouha, Al Tram and Al Olympi, gaining exposure to different technical approaches and styles of play.
Al Nabli said the matches required players to think quickly, make decisions under pressure and adapt to changing situations on court, giving the coaching staff a clearer picture of the technical requirements of each player.
He added that the observations gathered during the matches would now be incorporated into future training programmes.
Video analysis also played an important role throughout the camp, allowing the technical staff to review individual and collective performances in greater detail. Match footage helped identify strengths and weaknesses and enabled players to directly review situations involving positioning, movement and decision-making.