Oman face Brazil in ANOC World Beach Games opener
Published: 09:10 PM,Oct 10,2019 | EDITED : 05:04 AM,Apr 29,2024
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Oman will commence their campaign at the first edition of the ANOC World Beach Games in Doha with a match against Brazil on Friday in the morning session. Also, the Sultanate team will have another match on same day as they will meet Sweden in the evening session.
Oman, who secured their spot at the IHF World Men’s and Women’s Beach Handball Championship in Italy in 2020, are placed in a strong group with Brazil, Sweden, Denmark, USA and Australia in Group A. Group B is comprised of Croatia, Hungary, Spain, Qatar, Uruguay and Tunisia. The 12 teams will play at the ANOC World Beach Games with the league system for one round only. The top-two teams from each group will advance to the semifinal round. The other teams will compete for the placement positions from five to 12.
Oman head coach Hamood al Hasani said: “Our boys will look to register a strong start which will encourage the team to perform better in the upcoming matches. Despite the difference in the technical experience between the Sultanate team to Brazil and Sweden, the national team players are aware there is nothing impossible in the sport. They can deliver their best during the sets of the match. The first round matches will be even for all the teams since it will be the start of the tournament.”
Oman players completed their warm up for the World Beach Games through series of domestic camps and friendlies. Prior the Beach Games event, the Sultanate team
completed their internal camp at the sands court at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.
The internal camp which lasted for seven days focused on the fitness aspects. No warm-up matches were played. Physical strengthening exercises were as one of the main focus for the coaching staff as the team was in the rest mode in the last period and since the last participation at the seventh Asian Beach Handball Championship in China in June.
The Sultanate handball delegation arrived in Doha on Wednesday, headed by Othman al Qasmi, OHA board member.
Oman squad: Said al Hasani, Asaad al Hasani, Osama al Kasbi, Abdullah al Balushi, Hudhayfah al Siyabi, Hani al Dughaishi, Azzan al Mashri, Yasser al Harthy, Muhannad al Zarafi, Abdullah al Balushi and Hamoud al Mamari; Hamood al Hasani (head coach) and Jaber al Balushi (assistant coach).