MUSCAT: The Oman national men’s volleyball team concluded its preparations for the West Asia Championship, which will be hosted in the Bahraini capital, Manama, from July 17 to 27, with positive results from its joint training camp with the Saudi national team. The “Red Warriors” played four friendly matches against Saudi Arabia, securing three wins and suffering one loss in what proved to be a fruitful experience marked by steadily improving performance and growing team cohesion.
The team capped off the series with a 3-1 victory in the fourth match, with set scores of (25–19, 22–25, 27–25, 25–22), confirming their technical and physical readiness ahead of the official competition. The team had earlier won the first and third matches by identical 3-2 scorelines and lost the second match 1-3 in a closely contested and balanced game.
Iranian head coach Mohammad Vakili emphasised that the camp was a crucial preparatory phase. In his statement, he said the objective of these matches was not just to win but to focus on tactical and physical aspects, test team formations, and correct technical mistakes. He added that the team greatly benefited from facing a strong opponent like Saudi Arabia, which highlighted Oman’s strengths such as blocking and serving while also exposing areas needing improvement, like counterattacks and defensive coordination.
Regarding the loss in the second match, Vakili explained that the team was not at its best and made several errors in serving and reception. However, addressing these shortcomings in the third match helped the team get back on the winning track. He also noted that the team has now entered the final stage of preparations and will conclude its camp at the Buraimi Sports Complex on Friday. Some changes will be made to the starting lineup based on player performances during the camp. Team star Saud al Maamari expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance during the camp, noting that the four matches were beneficial both technically and mentally. He stated, We approached each game as if it were an official match and improved our organisation from one game to the next, particularly in spiking and defensive coordination. Our goal is to be in peak form before the tournament begins.
Younis al Amri, another national team player, added, The performance we delivered during the recent training camp shows that the team is on the right track toward full readiness for the West Asia Championship. The high spirit with which we played against Saudi Arabia and the level we’ve reached reflect the hard work and dedication of both the coaching staff and the players.
THREE TOUGH TESTS IN THE GTOUP STAGE
Oman will begin its West Asia Championship campaign on Saturday, July 19, facing Kuwait at 4:00 pm Muscat time. The second match will be against Qatar on Sunday, July 20, at 6:00 pm a highly anticipated clash given both teams’ strong offensive capabilities.
The team will wrap up the first round on Monday, July 21, with a challenging match against Saudi Arabia at 4:00 pm. All matches will take place at the Isa bin Rashid Hall in Manama.
The squad selected for the West Asia Championship consists of 14 players carefully chosen by the technical staff, led by head coach Mohammad Vakili.
The team includes: Saud al Maamari, Mohammed al Muqbali, Abdullah al Muqbali, Abdullah al Shibli, Ismail al Haidi, Khamis al Jabri, Mahmoud al Saadi, Adam al Juradi, Adam al Jalboobi, Hamad al Maamari, Younis al Amri, Yousuf al Shukaili, Ahmed al Toobi, and Abdulbasit al Balushi.
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