Rafo crowned women’s bowling champions

MUSCAT, SEPT 25

The 17th Women’s Bowling Championship for Government and Private Institutions 2025 concluded on Wednesday evening with the Royal Air Force of Oman (Rafo) team claiming the overall title. Occidental (A) secured second place, while Sohar International Bank finished third.

The closing ceremony was held at the Fun Zone in Qurum, under the auspices of Halima bint Rashid al Zariyah, Chairperson of the Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (ASMED). The tournament drew a strong turnout and featured 25 teams representing 21 institutions, who competed over 11 days in four main categories: singles, doubles, masters and teams.

Khawla al Rawahi, Head of the Organising Committee and Director of the Women’s Sports Department at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth (MoCSY), expressed her delight with the success of the championship, noting that the 17th edition was marked by wide participation from government, military, and private institutions, and by the high level of competition that reflected the growing interest in women’s sports in Oman.

She explained that the continuity of the championship over 17 years is a testament to its success in providing an ideal competitive environment that hones players’ skills and strengthens women’s presence in sports. She also praised institutions for supporting their female employees and enabling them to participate, describing this as a genuine commitment to equal opportunities and a positive reflection of these institutions’ role in society.

Al Rawahi extended special thanks to Fun Zone for hosting, the sponsoring companies, the technical committee, and the referees for their contribution to the tournament’s success. She emphasised that this achievement will serve as motivation to organise more women’s sports events in the future, further empowering Omani women and enhancing their role in the national sports scene.

For her part, Zamzam al Muhaydhar from Occidental (A) expressed her pride in participating, noting that this year’s edition was exceptional for her team after securing top positions in various competitions. She said: "The competition was very strong, but the atmosphere was filled with great sportsmanship, which made the championship an unforgettable experience both in terms of exchanging experiences and building relationships with other teams."

She added: "This achievement is a major incentive to continue improving our performance, especially in light of the remarkable development women’s sports are witnessing in Oman, which opens up broader horizons for greater accomplishments in the future."

In the team category, Occidental (A) secured first place, followed by Oman Oil Development Company in second, while the Rafo finished third. In the masters category, Samar al Maashari from Bank Sohar International claimed the top spot, with Maryam al Ghafri from Occidental (A) taking second place and Siham al Abri of the Royal Air Force finished third.

The doubles competition was dominated by the Royal Air Force duo of Siham al Abri and Sheikha al Shibili, who clinched first place, while the Occidental (A) pair of Alia al Marjabi and Maryam al Ghafri came second, and the Royal Court Affairs duo, Zainab al Balushi and Janan al Numani, secured third. In the singles category, the Rafo continued their strong performance with Isamah al Farisi winning first place and her teammate Siham al Abri taking second, while Occidental (A)’s Alia al Marjabi finished third.