Sports Reporter
Muscat, Oct 22
With high morale and strong competitive spirit, Oman’s national teams for athletics, equestrian and golf will begin their participation on Thursday in the third Asian Youth Games, hosted by Bahrain from October 22 to 31. The event brings together more than 5,000 athletes representing 45 Asian National Olympic Committees, competing in 24 sports and 253 events.
Oman, represented by the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC), took part in Tuesday’s welcome and flag-raising ceremony held at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, where golfer Adam bin Masoud al Barwani raised the Sultanate of Oman’s flag.
The official opening ceremony took place on Wednesday evening, led by Dr Abdullah bin Khamis Ambusaidi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Education for Education, head of the Omani delegation, in the presence of Brigadier (Retd) Said bin Mohammed al Hajri, deputy head, and Abdullah bin Mohammed Bamkhalaf, OOC Secretary-General. During the ceremony, the Omani flag was raised by Sayyid Abdulaziz bin Fahad al Busaidy from the equestrian team and Fida bint Fuad al Barwaniyah from the taekwondo team.
The equestrian team begins its participation in the team events, represented by Abdulaziz bin Fahad al Busaidy, Taha bin Ziyad al Balushi and Sarah bint Suhail al Kathiriyah.
In athletics, Raed bin Mohammed al Balushi opens the competition in the 100m preliminary rounds, followed by Al Yazn bin Rashid al Shamsi, who will compete in the 800m on Friday. Al Balushi will also take part in the 200m race, while Hamad bin Nasser al Riyami competes in the 2000m steeplechase on Saturday.
The golf team features three players: Adam bin Masoud al Barwani, Mahir Nikhil Sampat and Pransh Jagwani, competing in both individual and team events.
Meanwhile, taekwondo athletes underwent weigh-ins ahead of their matches scheduled for Friday and Saturday. The team includes Shahnaz al Maawali, Ziyad al Balushi, Qaboos al Balushi, Al Mutasim al Hajri and Fida al Barwani.
INTENSIVE TRAINING
The national teams continued their intensive training sessions yesterday in an atmosphere of optimism and enthusiasm. Said al Hajri and Abdullah Bamkhalaf visited the teams at their training venues, expressing confidence in the athletes’ ability to deliver strong performances.
Bamkhalaf said that with determination and will power, the athletes can be among the leaders and achieve results that meet the nation’s aspirations.
Said al Hajri emphasised that Oman’s participation in this Asian event holds great sporting and cultural value, as it represents an investment in youth who embody the future of Omani sports. He added that the tournament provides athletes with valuable international exposure and experience, while strengthening Oman’s presence on the Asian stage.
He noted that federations and sports committees had carefully prepared the teams through well-planned training camps, both locally and abroad, to enhance performance levels. He stressed that this participation serves as a platform to assess the progress of Omani sports and continue improving them.
Dr Ali al Marzouqi, Vice-Chairman of the Oman Athletics Association and administrative supervisor of the delegation, explained that this participation is a strategic investment in developing youth potential. He said that preparations included training camps and local trials to ensure technical readiness.
He added that competition at the Games would be strong but also a golden opportunity for Omani athletes to gain valuable experience. Oman’s presence here, he said, sends a clear message that the Sultanate of Oman is steadily moving toward a bright future for athletics.
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