MUSCAT: Oman’s talented paddlers including Talia al Rawahi and Salma al Nasri claimed bronze medals at the 36th Arab Table Tennis Championship which concluded recently in Morocco. Talia, who is currently in an external training programme at Hennebont Training Center in France, secured bronze in the Under-13 singles category while Salma, playing in Ibri Club, clinched bronze in the Under-11 singles competition.
Both girls managed to earn a bronze medal for Oman at the GCC Youth Games in UAE last year. This is an additional achievement brought by them which is highlights the rising talent within Oman’s youth ranks as both players delivered impressive performances against strong opposition from across the Arab region.
Talya al Rawahi progressed from the group stage after defeating her Saudi and Moroccan opponents. She then overcame against Iraq’s representative in the quarterfinals to book her spot in the semifinals, where she fell short against another Iraqi player despite a spirited fight. On the other hand, Salma al Nasri powered through the group stage with victories over Iraq and Morocco before defeating Kuwait’s player in the quarterfinals. She battled strongly in the semifinals but narrowly lost to Bahrain’s contender in a close contest.
Oman’s head coach Omid Shams Sharbabaki, expressed great pride in the young players’ achievements. “ I am proud of achievement by both girls which is a result of success and hard work beside an intensive preparations over the past months. These medals are a strong motivation for the players and for us as a team to continue striving for higher goals,” Sharbabaki said.
“ I hope this accomplishment will encourage both players to perform much better in the coming events and also push others to mark a significant milestone in Oman’s table tennis development especially at the youth level,”.
Oman Table Tennis Association (OTTA) recently concluded successfully hosting of the 2025 Arab Clubs Table Tennis Championship as Bahrain club defeated Egypt’s ENPPI 3-1 to clinch the men’s team while Egypt’s Petrojet claimed the title of the Women’s team title following their crucial victory over Egypt’s ENPPI 3-2. The event, was under an umbrella of the Arab Table Tennis Federation, witnessed the presence of 35 clubs as it was the largest number in the history of the Arab Clubs Championships.
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