Seven centres set for Handball Festival

MUSCAT: The Oman Handball Association, through its Athlete Development Centres Committee, will organise the 2026 Athlete Development Centres Handball Festival on September 18 and 19 at the main indoor hall of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher.
The two-day festival will bring together seven centres representing Oman, Nizwa, Seeb, Ibri, Al Shabab, Saham and Wadi Al Maawil. Activities will be held in morning and evening sessions as part of a programme designed to develop young players and provide them with valuable competitive experience.
The festival is part of the committee’s ongoing efforts to improve the technical abilities of young handball players, identify promising talent and provide a structured pathway for their development. It will also allow the technical staff to assess the progress and performance of players following the training programme conducted over the past period, helping the committee shape its technical plans for the next stage.
In addition to the competitive aspect, the festival will provide young players with an opportunity to test themselves against players from other centres, gain match experience and further develop the skills they have acquired during training. The event is also intended to strengthen social interaction and cooperation among players and technical staff from the participating centres.

One of the key objectives will be the identification of outstanding players who could earn selection for the Athlete Development Centres national team. Selection will be based on the technical levels and performances demonstrated during the festival. Each centre is permitted to participate with a maximum of 20 players.
The festival will also feature a handball tournament, with the seven participating centres divided into two groups. Group A consists of Oman Club, Al Shabab, Wadi Al Maawil and Ibri, while Group B features Seeb, Saham and Nizwa.
The preliminary stage will be played on a single round-robin basis, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals. The winner of Group A will face the runner-up of Group B, while the winner of Group B will meet the runner-up of Group A.
The tournament is expected to provide an important competitive platform for the young players while giving coaches an opportunity to assess their technical development under match conditions.
The festival will conclude with a closing ceremony under the auspices of Jaber bin Mohammed al Shibani, Director of the National Teams Affairs Department at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth (MoCSY). The ceremony will be attended by officials from the Oman Handball Association as well as the administrative and technical staff of the participating centres.