OTTA all set for Arab Clubs TT Championship

MUSCAT, AUG 27

The Oman Table Tennis Association (OTTA) is all set to kick off the competitions of the 36th edition of the Arab Clubs Table Tennis Championship in Muscat. The tournament will begin on Sunday and will run until September 4 at the main indoor hall of Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher.

This event will be followed by another prestigious event as OTTA is gearing up to host WTT Star Contender for the first time in Oman. The global event will take place in coming November with participation of more than 200 players including top ranking paddlers.

As many as 35 clubs including 24 men’s teams and 11 women’s teams have confirmed their participation in the Arab clubs event which will be organised by the OTTA in collaboration with the Arab Table Tennis Federation (ATTF).

FULL READINESS

Mohammed al Jassasi, Tournament Director, affirmed that all the technical and logistics arrangements were almost completed for the event. “All the preparations are in full swing for the Arab tournament. Also, I would like to appreciate the significant efforts of the Arab Table Tennis Federation in supporting and organising regional activities and championships. We appreciate their trust in Oman to host this prestigious event,” he said.

“The OTTA has accumulative extensive experience in hosting regional and international competitions, pledging an exceptional tournament that will achieve the key technical objectives of this hosting, including expanding the popularity and reach of the sport across the Arab countries. This championship will represent also a valuable opportunity for local clubs to gain experience and exposure, especially by competing against highly ranked and seasoned players from across the Arab region,” he concluded.

TOURNAMENT CLUBS

The men’s competition will witness the participation of top clubs such as Djibouti FC (Djibouti), Al Fahaheel and Al Yarmouk (Kuwait), Ghaz Al Janoub, Neft Al Shamal, and Al Sulaymaniyah (Iraq), Al Arabi and Qatar SC (Qatar), Wydad (Morocco), Al Ruwwad (Syria), Al Ittihad and Al Shabab (Saudi Arabia), Al Salmiya (Syria), ENPPI and Petrojet (Egypt), Bahrain and Sar (Bahrain), Al Saad (Qatar), Al Karak (Jordan), Al Sahel (Kuwait), Shabab Al Ahli (UAE), alongside Oman’s representatives Seeb, Ibri, and Salalah clubs.

The women’s competition will feature leading clubs including Al Riyadhi Al Hawi (Algeria), Fatayat Al Oyoun (Kuwait), Al Kahraba (Iraq), Wydad (Morocco), Al Ruwwad and Al Salmiya (Syria), ENPPI and Petrojet (Egypt), Qadisiya and Al Fatah (Kuwait), and Qatar SC (Qatar).

The tournament draw will take place on Saturday in the presence of team representatives. Clubs will be placed into groups, with the top two from each advancing to the knockout stages. Matches will follow a team competition format on eight tables inside the main hall, running in two sessions including morning and evening sessions with scheduled rest intervals.

The teams from Bahrain and Morocco delegations will arrive on Thursday to Muscat International Airport as the first teams and they will settle into official tournament accommodations and begin daily training sessions at the main and warm-up halls ahead of Sunday’s opening matches.

Seeb, Ibri and Salalah clubs completed intensive domestic training camps in preparation for the championship. Seeb will be represented by Asaad al Raisi, Jihad al Riyami, Bilal al Rashdi and Muhannad al Balushi while Ahmed al Riyami, Luqman al Farsi, Badar al Jassasi, Nasser al Balushi and Mohammed al Mutawa will be among Ibri squad. Al Julanada al Kharousi, Mashaal al Shihi and Muadh al Shihi will play for Salalah. Some of the players have previously featured with the national team in regional and international competitions.