Ahmed AL KAABI Muscat. FEB 26 The first edition of the Athletes Preparation Centers Championship in hockey was held at the Oman Hockey Stadium in Al Amerat, with the participation of 500 players representing various governorates. These centers include the clubs of Oman, Al Salam, Al Nahda, Al Seeb, Nizwa, Muscat, Ahli Sidab, Quriyat, Bausher, Al Itihad, Al Nasr, Sohar and Salalah.
The male centers were divided into four groups, each consisting of 6 centers from categories "A" and "B", while the female centers were distributed into two groups, each group including 6 centers.
Said Al Maamari, member of the Board of Directors of the Oman Hockey Association and Chairman of the Athletes Preparation Centers Committee, pointed out the importance of the initiative to open Athletes Preparation Centers in clubs with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth. These centers aim to spread hockey and build a new base for the game, and provide players of both genders from different age groups.
Al Maamari stressed that the first Athletes Preparation Centers Hockey Championship reflects the goals of the association in developing the youth teams, as more than 500 players participated in it. The tournament was also dedicated to the hockey five-a-side game, as it is the most popular and widespread at the present time.
Al Maamari added that the tournament witnessed the participation of national team players to provide assistance in the technical, administrative and refereeing aspects.
Ahmed Al Darmki, the general supervisor of the Athletes Preparation Centers for hockey, indicated that the main goal of the tournament was to measure the technical levels of the players after 7 months of the opening of the centers, and to encourage participation in the game. He pointed out that the tournament witnessed exciting competitions, and that the participants expressed their desire to extend the period of the tournament.
Al Darmki added that the tournament was not competitive to determine winners and losers, but was open to promote participation, which contributed to attracting and motivating players. He stressed that there is a future plan to develop the Athletes Preparation Centers Hockey Championship and implement it annually.
Regarding the refereeing aspects, Thani Al Wahaibi, member of the OHA board and Chairman of the Referees Committee, praised the role of local referees in reviving the game in clubs. He pointed out that Omani referees are working hard to develop their skills to obtain international refereeing badges.
Al Wahaibi concluded by stressing that the first Athletes Preparation Centers Hockey Championship was an important step towards developing the game in Oman, and that the positive indicators that appeared during the tournament confirm the existence of promising generations capable of representing the national teams at the continental and international levels.
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