Muscat: For the first time in Oman’s sports journey, the country will host the Socca World Cup 2024 from November 29 to December 7 to be held for the first time in the Middle East and Asia. As many as 44 teams from around the world will participate in the ten-day-long event that will bring the global Socca attention on Oman.
The announcement was made at a meeting held under the patronage of Her Highness Dr Mona Fahad Mahmoud al Said, Assistant Vice-Chancellor of Sultan Qaboos University at Oman International Convention and Exhibition Centre recently.
Managed by International Socca Federation, the Socca World Cup is six-a-side football tournament, which started in 2018 in Portugal. The Socca World Cup is an international Socca competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of International Socca Federation.
Speaking to the Observer, Waleed bin Juma al Obaidani, President of International Socca Federation in Middle East said that the announcement is historic as Oan achieved the host-state status and that the tournament has been in planning for more than four years
“The Socca World Cup coming to Oman is a significant event for the country in particular and the Middle East in general. The efforts put into hosting the tournament, with support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and local partners, is a clear indication of the commitment to making this event successsful,” said Waleed al Obaidani, adding that Oman will participate in the Socca Mexico Championship being held from February 21 to 26 to scout for Omani talent
He further said that a huge stadium for the tournament will be erected to accommodate nearly with 3,000 spectators and efforts are currently underway on developing a strong national team in collaboration with Oman Football Association.
Besides, in the run to the major global event towards end of this year, the committee supervising the tournament is conducting field visits to schools to raise awareness on it, and organise special events for children and Omani companies to engage the community and build excitement around the world cup.
Obaidani further said that the benefits of hosting the major sports event has manifold benefits including sports promotion, supporting tourism and ultimately, extending support to the economy.
“Hosting such event will also boost Oman’s chances of hosting more global events in the future. We believe that the event is likely to contribute significantly to the national support and promotion of football in the middle east region,” Waleed bin Juma al Obaidani, President of International Socca Federation in Middle East said.
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