MUSCAT: Sixteen of Oman Sail’s best young prospects will compete against sailors from across the region at the 11th GCC Sailing Championship which is taking place from 22-26 March, 2022 at Messilah Beach in Kuwait. The Omani squad includes sailors under the age of 17 in the Optimist, ILCA 4, ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 classes, all of whom earned their place in the team by finishing in top positions a recent rankings race event held in Musannah.
The Omani team comprises: Tameem bin Suleiman al Balushi (Optimist), Abdul Latif bin Zeyad al Qasmi (Optimist), Hassan bin Nasser al Wahaibi (Optimist), Feras bin Haitham al Nabhani (Optimist), Alaa bin Hassan al Hinai (Optimist), Hood bin Saad al Nofali (Optimist), AbdulRahman bin Khalid al Hadi (Optimist), Aous bin Maher al Busaidi (Optimist), Elyas bin Bader al Fadhly (ILCA 4), Nebras bin Ahmed al Owaisi (ILCA 4), Salim bin Ali al Hamdani (ILCA 4), Ahmed bin Hassan al Balushi (ILCA 6), Zakariya bin Suleiman al Wahaibi (ILCA 6), Musaab bin Mohaed al Hadi (ILCA 7), Abdulmalik bin Gharib al Hinai (ILCA 7) and Al Moutasem bin Hamood al Farsi (ILCA 7).
The sailors will be joined by Nawaf bin Yaqood al Ghadani (team leader), Sultan bin Abdulaziz al Zadjali (Optimist coach), Muthir bin Issa al Kindi (ILCA 4 coach) and Hashim bin Hamed al Hashmi (ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 coach).
Nawaf bin Yaqoob al Ghadani, Oman’s Team Leader, said, “This is a great opportunity for our rising stars to test themselves against the best young sailors in the region. It allows each sailor a chance to gain experience of high level competition, how to handle the pressure and put into practice the technique we have been working on in training. We have a strong squad and we’re looking forward to the Championships in Kuwait.”
Sultan bin Abdulaziz al Zadjali, Optimist coach, said, “The GCC Sailing Championship is an important step in the journey towards becoming an elite sailor. Everyone representing Oman has earned their place by excelling in ranking races and we are hopeful of a good showing during the week. Each day is a new opportunity to improve, learn from the day before and help the sailors to reach their potential while enjoying the feeling of competition.”
Abdulmalik bin Gharib al Hinai, member of the ILCA 7 fleet heading to the event, said, “I am looking forward to the opportunity in Kuwait. We have all trained very well in the build-up to the event and feel well prepared. The GCC Sailing Championships present a good chance to see how we compare to sailors our own age across the region, learn from each other, make friends and take the next step in our development as sailors.”
Over the four days, sailors from Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, along with the team from Oman Sail, will battle for position in races taking place each day before the fleet splits for the final day when the medals will be decided. In total, 12 races are scheduled for each class, except the Optimist class where a maximum of nine will be held. An overall prize will be awarded for the most successful nation at the championships.
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