MUSCAT: Sultanate of Oman’s brand new hockey facility Hockey Oman will spring into action with the prestigious FIH Olympic Men’s Hockey Qualifier 2024 tournament from Monday.
World champions Germany will take on Canada in the opening match of the eight-team qualifying event at the state-of-the-art hockey stadium.
FIH President Dato Tayyab Ikram, who was in town as Muscat hosts three weeks of high-intensity international hockey, opened his remarks by saying that the staging of the Olympic Qualifier is a milestone moment for Oman.
“This is a milestone moment for Oman. I congratulate His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik for the great achievement for sports in Oman with his great leadership. HH Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham bin Tarik al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, was also instrumental in completing this dream project of Oman Hockey Association (OHA),” Ikram said during the opening press conference at the venue.
Hockey Oman complex, completed in around one and a half years, will host the first ever FIH Hockey5s World Cup from January 24 to 31.
The FIH president appreciated the work of OHA Chairman Dr Marwan bin Juma al Juma and his team for the speedy completion of the hockey facility, which has separate 11-a-side and five-a-side stadiums with practice facilities.
Ikram said scopes are high for the Hockey Oman facility.
“It is surely up for grabs with regards to a hockey academy in the complex and other related amenities. There are a lot of scopes for the new stadium and the hockey world body is fully committed to support several initiatives at the high-performance venue,” he said in a reply to a query.
“Olympic qualification is a dream for all associated with the sport, from players to coaches and officials – also at a personal level. So it is ideal Hockey Oman starts with the Olympic Qualifier featuring top men’s teams of the world,” Ikram said of the Paris Olympics 2024 qualifying tournament that begins at Hockey Oman stadium on Monday.
Three teams will make it to the Paris Games from the Muscat Qualifier.
TEAM WORK
OHA chief Dr Marwan said the completion of the facility at Al Amerat was the result of efficient team work by the concerned parties with great backing from the government.
“We have completed the first phase and now it is the time to stage two great tournaments successfully. Our full efforts and focus are now on these events which are prestigious for the country as well as the region itself,” he said.
The OHA is hoping to see the hockey enthusiasts flock to the stadium for the Olympic qualifiers, Dr Marwan said.
“We have reached out to various private schools and expatriate communities and hockey-loving public to promote the events at the new stadium. We are expecting the hockey enthusiasts to utilise the opportunity for watching high-profile hockey live in Muscat. We invite all to come up and fill in the stadiums to make the event a grand success,” he concluded.
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