11th SABIS Regional Tournament inaugurated

MUSCAT: Under the patronage of HH Sayyid Taimur bin Asaad bin Tareq al Said and in the presence of a number of Highnesses and honourable members of the State Council and under-secretaries, ambassadors, Ministry of Education, heads of sports federations, representatives of the Omani Olympic Committee and Ministry of Sports Affairs, the International School of Choueifat witnessed on Thursday evening the opening ceremony of the  11th SABIS Regional Tournament with the participation of 1,000 students representing 14 countries  (Oman,  UAE, Syria, Bahrain, Egypt, Germany, Jordan, KSA, Lebanon, Qatar, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Kurdistan and Romania). The opening ceremony began with the National Anthem, followed by a horseshow where the cavalrymen carried the flags of the participating countries. Next came the entry of over than 1,000 participating athletes carrying their countries’ flags before taking their places inside the soccer field. At the end of the ceremony, a number of highly trained Choueifat students presented a beautiful rhythmic performance. Following the opening ceremony of the tournament, His Highness Sayyid Taimur bin Asaad bin Tareq al Said emphasised the importance of this tournament in enhancing the abilities of our students and youth. He said, “The tournament has clear educational, sports and social dimensions. It is a unique occasion in which more than 1,000 students representing 14 countries participate and thus great opportunity for all of the athletes to gain relations, friendships and to exchange experiences. The tournament is also a good opportunity for building positive attitudes including tolerance, sporting spirit and honest competition, in addition to approving their physical and emotional abilities and enhancing various athletic skills. He added that hosting this event in the International School of Choueifat in Muscat is important for promoting sport practices culture. Furthermore, it is an opportunity for the students and their families and supervisors from the participating countries to learn about the history of the Sultanate, which is rooted in the depths of human history and witnessing the aspects of development in economic, health and education. His Highness Sayyid Taimur bin Asaad bin Tareq al Said praised the programme of the opening ceremony and said: “The ceremony was a diverse and embodiment of the history, civilisation and culture of Oman.” The tournament will continue over the weekend. The competitions are technically supervised by Omani sports federations of swimming, athletics, football and basketball. The referees, observers and technicians are selected by the sport federations. The football and basketball are divided into groups. The competitions will continue until the 23rd of April