MUSCAT, OCT 11
In an exciting kickoff to the 55th edition of His Majesty the Sultan’s Cup Hockey Championship, the preliminary round began on Friday with several strong matches that revealed early signs of the participating teams’ ambitions to claim the prestigious title.
MIRBAT DEFEAT FANJA 3–0
The Mirbat Hockey Team started their campaign in Group Three with a well-deserved 3–0 win over Fanja, in the match held at the Sultan Qaboos Youth, Culture and Entertainment Complex in Salalah.
Mirbat dominated the game from the opening minutes, pressing high in search of an early goal. In the 15th minute of the first quarter, Fouad al Baraka opened the scoring with a powerful strike after a well-coordinated attack, ending the first quarter with Mirbat leading 1–0.
In the second quarter, Mirbat continued their field dominance, while Fanja tried to get back into the game, but Mirbat’s goalkeeper, Rayen bin Mubarak Said, made several crucial saves. In the 18th minute, Raed al Baraka doubled the lead, while Fanja missed a chance to reduce the deficit after failing to convert a penalty corner in the final minute of the quarter.
The third quarter saw chances for both sides but no goals, before Mohammed bin Salim al Nubi sealed the win for Mirbat in the fourth quarter with the team’s third goal, ending the match 3–0 and placing Mirbat on top of their group with three valuable points.
QURAYAT CRUSH NIZWA 8–0
In another match from Group Two, Qurayat earned a sweeping 8–0 victory over Nizwa at the Oman Hockey Stadium in Al Amerat. Qurayat delivered a dominant attacking display from the start, completely controlling the match to claim their first three points of the tournament, sending an early warning to the rest of the group.
MASIRAH BEAT IBRI 2–0
In Group Four, Masirah overcame Ibri with a 2–0 win at the Sohar Sports Complex. Despite a goalless first half, Masirah broke through Ibri’s defence in the third quarter when Khalid al Balushi scored the opener, then added a second goal in the 50th minute of the final quarter, confirming his team’s deserved victory.
AL RUSTAQ AND AL NAHDA 2–2 DRAW
In the second match of the same group, Al Rustaq and Al Nahda played out a thrilling 2–2 draw at the Sohar Sports Complex. The first quarter ended goalless, before Ayham al Araimi gave Al Nahda the lead in the 24th minute. Just two minutes later, Salim al Busaidy equalised for Al Rustaq, ending the quarter 1–1.
In the third quarter, Al Rustaq took the lead again through Ayham al Busaidy in the 36th minute, but Al Nahda quickly responded with an equaliser from Yaseen al Alawi, and the score remained level until the final whistle.
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