China beat Oman in Asian Games hockey opener

NAGOYA: The 20th Asian Games — known as the 'Asiad' — will officially open on Saturday in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Running from September 19 to October 4, 2026, the event sees the Sultanate of Oman participating alongside 45 other nations representing the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).
The hockey team marked the Sultanate's first appearance at the Games with a 2-0 loss to China. Meanwhile, the shooting team — comprising eight athletes — has arrived in Nagoya; they are set to compete from September 20 through October 1.

HH Sayyid Azzan bin Qais al Said, Chairman of the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC), arrived on Friday in the Japanese city of Nagoya. He will lead Oman’s delegation at the Asian Games opening ceremony, an event that will see high-level attendance from representatives of the OCA member states. Also arriving was Dr Marwan bin Juma al Juma — a member of the official delegation, Deputy Head of Mission and Oman Olympic Committee board member.

On Saturday, the Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya will stage the official opening of the 20th Asian Games, with activities running until October 4. The event is expected to draw around 35,000 spectators, and Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are expected to attend the opening ceremony; Japan is hosting this event for the third time in its history, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.

The programme’s theme will be 'Harmonious Heartbeats', part of the overarching concept 'Aichi-Nagoya Heartbeats' selected by the organising committee for the opening and closing ceremonies. Consequently, imagery, sounds, and heartbeat symbols will feature throughout the opening ceremony under the direction of renowned chief director Yukihiko Tsutsumi. More than 10,800 athletes from 46 delegations (comprising 45 countries and territories, plus one refugee sports delegation) are participating in the Games. Athletes will compete across 43 sports and 71 disciplines, vying for a total of 469 medals.

TORCH RELAY
On Friday, the Sultanate of Oman’s delegation participated in the torch relay at Hisaya Odori Park in Nagoya at 5 pm local time. Representing the Omani delegation, shooter Amina al Tarshi carried the torch amidst a large crowd of spectators and event organisers. Hisaya Park is considered a cultural symbol and one of Nagoya’s most famous landmarks; located in the heart of the Sakae commercial district, it stretches for nearly 2 km through the city centre.
Delegations from several other nations — including Japan, Myanmar, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, the Maldives, and Saudi Arabia — also carried the Games' torch during this same period.

OMAN LOSE TO CHINA
Oman hockey team lost its opening match 2-0 to China, conceding two goals scored by Gao Jiasheng and Du Shihao in the second and third quarters. The match took place at the Gifu-Green Stadium in Kakamigahara. Oman line-up featured goalkeeper Ibrahim al Farsi, along with Ilyas al Noufli, Osama Barzahan, Khalid al Shabibi, Ayman Khadoum, Mohammed al Noufli, Al Khader al Noufli, Faisal al Lawn, Maitham al Wahaibi, Aseel al Ma'aini and captain Rashid al Fazari.
The match kicked off at 9 am local time in hot, sunny conditions, officiated by South African umpire Sean Rapaport and Dutchman Coen van Bunge. The first quarter was characterised by competitive play and caution from both sides — each wary of conceding an early goal — ending goalless, though China held a slight advantage by utilising high balls. In the second quarter, China shed their cautious approach, attacking aggressively and pinning Omani players back. They earned a penalty corner in the fifth minute, which Gao Jiasheng converted into the opening goal.
Five minutes later, they nearly scored a second from another penalty corner. China maintained their dominance in the third quarter, forcing Oman players into errors and earning two more penalty corners; Du Shihao converted one of them into a second goal.
Oman's performance improved in the fourth quarter, and they managed to score a goal, only for the Dutch umpire to disallow it. 'The Reds' controlled the remainder of the match but lacked clinical finishing. The game ended with a 2-0 victory for China, who dominated possession with 54% compared to Oman's 46%. Oman are set to face Malaysia on Tuesday.

ERRORS DECIDED THE CONTEST
Oman head coach Mohammed Houbais al Shar emphasised that the national team players gave their all on the pitch during the match against China. He noted that it would be unfair to fault them, given the immense effort they invested during the pre-tournament preparation period.
Houbais explained that the coaching staff had devised a specific strategy to defeat the Chinese team, fully aware of the opponent's capabilities — describing them as a 'tough nut to crack'— and noting their history of edging out the Omani team by narrow margins in previous encounters, such as the last tournament held in China.
He added that the team focused heavily on defensive aspects during the match, operating as a cohesive unit to maintain the integrity of their lines and seal off the defensive centre.
He noted that the Chinese team earned four penalty corners and successfully converted two of them into goals, explaining that matches of this nature are often decided by a team's ability to capitalise on their opponent's errors.
Regarding the upcoming match against Malaysia, Hubais highlighted that the current squad includes eight young players competing in the Asian Games for the first time. He added that Malaysia is a formidable team in Asia — having recently participated in the World Cup and possessing significant potential and extensive experience.
At the same time, he emphasised the need for the Omani team to deliver their best technical and physical performance, putting the opening match behind them and focusing entirely on achieving a positive result in the next game.

SHOOTING TEAM ARRIVES
The shooting team is competing with eight athletes: Naghmoush bin Adnan al Hattali (Skeet Individual); Butti bin Humaid al Shibli (Trap Individual); Salim bin Talib al Hinai (10m Air Pistol); Khalid bin Mohammed al Kalbani (10m Air Rifle Individual and Mixed Team); Hamad bin Said al Khatri (50m Rifle 3 Positions Individual and 10m Air Rifle Individual); Yaqoob bin Abdullah al Siyabi (25m Pistol); Amina bint Khamis al Tarshi (10m Air Rifle Individual); and Al Anoud bint Abdullah al Khalili (10m Air Rifle Individual and Mixed Team, and 50m Rifle 3 Positions Individual). The delegation also includes administrator Mohammed bin Khalifa al Saadi, along with coaches Badr bin Salim al Dhahli, Nasser bin Ali al Khatri and Younis bin Rashid al Handhali.