Oman Sailing rises to Asian Games challenge

MUSCAT: Omani sailing emerged from the Aichi Nagoya 2026 Asian Games with gains that went beyond the final standings, as the national team demonstrated its ability to compete against some of Asia’s leading sailors and highlighted the progress being made across both youth and high-performance classes.
One of the strongest performances came from the youth 29er crew of Feras bin Haitham al Nabhani and Tamim bin Sulaiman al Balushi, who finished fourth in their Asian Games debut. Their result was particularly significant given their relative lack of experience in the demanding 29er class and represented an important step in their development against some of the continent’s most established sailing programmes.
The fourth place finish also provided the young sailors with valuable exposure to the pressures of a major multi-sport event. Racing against experienced international crews gave them the opportunity to develop their tactical decision-making, race management and ability to perform under pressure, experience that could prove important as they progress towards higher levels of international competition.
In the 49er class, experienced Omani sailors Ahmed bin Ghareeb al Hasani and Waleed bin Issa al Kindi finished fifth after competing against a highly competitive international fleet. Their campaign underlined Oman’s growing presence in the high-performance skiff classes and provided another opportunity to measure the team’s technical and tactical level against leading Asian crews.

Together, the two results reflect two important elements of Oman’s sailing pathway: creating opportunities for young sailors to gain major-event experience while maintaining a competitive presence at the high-performance level.
The experience gained in Japan is expected to provide a strong foundation for the team’s next phase of development. Competing at the highest continental level allows the sailors and technical team to identify areas for improvement while gaining a clearer understanding of the standards required to challenge for podium places at major international regattas.
Abdulaziz bin Salim al Shidi, Member of the Oman Maritime Sports Committee, said the performances represented another important step forward for Omani sailing. He highlighted the fourth-place finish by Al Nabhani and Al Balushi as a major milestone in their first Asian Games appearance, while noting the ability of Al Hasani and Al Kindi to compete strongly against a demanding 49er field.
The campaign was supported by Gold Partner ELB&T Ltd and its local strategic partner Al Ramooz National LLC, whose support has helped Oman’s sailors prepare for and compete at major continental and international events.
Dr John Young Kim, Group Chairman of ELB&T Ltd, and Ali Saheb, Chairman of Al Ramooz National LLC, praised the commitment and determination shown by the Omani sailors. They said the performances of the 29er youth crew and 49er team reflected the discipline, effort and long-term vision behind Oman Sail’s development strategy.
For Oman, the value of the Asian Games campaign ultimately lies in the experience gained as much as the results achieved. Fourth place in the youth 29er and fifth in the 49er provide a solid platform for further progress, while reinforcing the ambition to challenge for higher positions at future Asian and international events and continue building towards Oman’s long-term Olympic aspirations.