Competition intensifies as HM Cup tournament enters third week

Muscat, Oct 23

The thrill and excitement continue on Friday and Saturday in the 55th edition of the His Majesty’s Cup hockey tournament, with eight matches taking place as part of the third week of competition. The tournament witnesses fierce competition among clubs from various governorates, all vying for qualification to the final rounds of the most prestigious championship in Omani hockey.

Four games are scheduled for Friday. Muscat face Nizwa at 5 pm at the Hockey Oman Stadium in Al Amerat, while Dhofar meet Fanja at the same time at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex for Culture and Entertainment in Salalah. Two matches will also take place at Sohar Sports Complex: Ibri versus Rustaq at 4 pm, followed by Al Nahda against Masirah at 6 pm.

The action continues on Saturday with another four matches. Qurayyat play Oman Club at 5 pm at the Hockey Oman Stadium in Al Amerat, while Mirbat takes on Ittihad at the same time in Salalah. Sohar Sports Complex will also host two matches the first between Majees and Sohar at 4 pm, followed by Al Salam against Saham at 6 pm.

Teams enter this week’s round with varying ambitions. The leading clubs aim to consolidate their top positions, while others are looking to bounce back from earlier setbacks and stay in contention before the decisive knockout matches on Tuesday, which will determine the qualifiers for the final stages next week.

SOHAR, QURAYYAT, DHOFAR LEAD GROUPS

After the second week, in the first group, Sohar lead the standings with six points and a goal difference of (+9), followed by Saham and Al Salam, each with three points, while Majees remain at the bottom without any points.

In the second group, Qurayyat sit comfortably at the top with a perfect record of six points and an impressive goal difference of (+16), trailed by Oman Club with three points, Nizwa with one point and Muscat yet to open their account. As for the third group, Dhofar hold the lead with six points and a goal difference of (+4), while both Ittihad and Mirbat share second place with three points apiece, leaving Fanja in fourth position without any points.

The results of the past two weeks reflect the rising technical level and close competition among teams across all groups, setting the stage for an intense third week that will shape the path towards the next phase of the tournament.