Four clubs remain in title race for TT team tourney

MUSCAT: Al Amerat, Saham, Seeb and Ibri advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 Senior Team Table Tennis Championship following victories in the quarterfinals, keeping their title ambitions alive ahead of the tournament’s conclusion on Sunday.
Al Amerat defeated Taqah 3-0, while Saham edged Masirah 3-2 in the closest quarterfinal encounter. Seeb overcame Nakhal 3-1, with Ibri recording an identical victory over Salalah to complete the semifinal line-up.
The results set up a semifinal meeting between Al Amerat and Saham, while Seeb face Ibri for the other place in the final. The losing semifinalists will contest the third-place match.
The championship began on Thursday, October 8, with 15 clubs divided into three groups. Teams competed in a single round-robin preliminary stage, with eight progressing to the quarterfinals.
Group One featured Seeb, Salalah, Al Suwaiq, Al Amerat and Qurayat. Ibri, Al Bashayer, Masirah, Bahla and Mirbat competed in Group Two, while Al Rustaq, Taqah, Al Salam, Nakhal and Saham formed Group Three.
Al Amerat topped Group One with eight points after winning all four matches. They defeated Seeb and Salalah 3-1 and recorded 3-0 victories over Al Suwaiq and Qurayat. Seeb finished with seven points, followed by Salalah on six.
Ibri also completed the preliminary stage unbeaten, collecting eight points in Group Two. They beat Al Bashayer, Bahla and Mirbat 3-0 and overcame Masirah 3-1. Masirah finished with seven points, ahead of Al Bashayer on six.
Saham secured four victories in Group Three, defeating Al Rustaq and Al Salam 3-0 before overcoming Taqah and Nakhal 3-2. Nakhal collected seven points and Taqah six, with both advancing to the quarterfinals before their campaigns ended.
IMPROVING STANDARDS
Seeb player Nasser bin Saif al Balushi said the championship’s standard continued to improve each year, with clubs recruiting stronger foreign professionals. He added that Omani players were also benefiting from international tournaments and overseas participation, helping raise the level of domestic competition.
Al Balushi was optimistic about Seeb’s prospects, pointing to his appearances in the final over the past four years and his ambition to return to the title decider and lift the trophy this season.
Speaking during the group stage, Nakhal representative Fahad bin Hamad al Abri described the championship as enjoyable and highly competitive. He highlighted the participation of professionals from France, Iran and other countries as a key feature of the event.
Al Abri said Nakhal aimed to maintain a regular presence across competitions and prepare its players to achieve positive results in different categories.
French player Vincent Picard expressed his delight at making his first appearance in the Muscat championship, despite having visited the city several times and being familiar with the hall.
Picard said arriving on Tuesday had given him time to get to know his team-mates before competition began. He added that his team were targeting the title after topping their group and defeating their strongest group-stage opponents.
With four clubs still in contention, the semifinals will determine who advances to Sunday’s championship decider.