Muscat: The Oman women’s national basketball team continues its intensive preparations for upcoming regional competitions through a focused training camp currently underway at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher.
The camp comes as part of the team’s buildup for the Arab Women’s 3x3 Basketball Championship and the Gulf 3x3 Championship, both of which will be hosted by the Sultanate of Oman later this November.
The internal camp aims to enhance team cohesion and elevate the players’ physical and technical readiness before entering official competitions.
The national team is scheduled to travel to Bahrain for an external training camp from November 15 to 18 . This camp represents a key stage in the preparation plan, giving the players the opportunity to face experienced Gulf teams in a series of friendly matches.
These matchups will allow the coaching staff to assess the players’ readiness and performance levels in a competitive environment similar to the upcoming championships.
The team is led by coach Wafa Zagdoud, who is working on preparing the players with maximum physical and tactical focus. The squad includes: Shams al Duha, Fatma al Numani, Nareen al Maamari, Ruba al Khalbani, Reema al Mughairi, Zainab al Busaidy, Malak al Salimi, HH Sayyidah Lamar bint Mohammed al Said, Reem al Shirawi and Aisha al Yafie.
The Arab 3x3 Basketball Championship will take place from November 24 to 27 with the participation of five teams, followed by the Gulf Championship on November 28 and 29, featuring teams from Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The technical staff hopes that the various preparation stages will contribute to improving the players’ performance and achieving an honourable representation that reflects the development of women’s basketball in the Sultanate of Oman, while highlighting the national team’s growing presence on the Gulf and Arab levels.
Dalia al Bassami, a member of the Women’s Committee in the OBA, confirmed that preparations are progressing according to a well-planned strategy set by the technical committee since the start of the season. She noted that the external camp in Bahrain represents an important component of the preparation programme, as international exposure is a key element in 3x3 basketball, which relies on quick reactions and strong coordination in short-space play.
She added that the team has continued training without interruption, focusing on the specific nature of the 3x3 format in terms of tactical movement and half-court play. She emphasised that the focus on mental, physical, and tactical aspects has strengthened the players’ readiness, praising their high level of commitment throughout the training programme.
FOUR MONTHS OF PREPARATION
Head coach Wafa Zagdoud explained that the preparation programme extended over four months and included monthly tournaments to evaluate the players’ development. She noted that while the team still needs more international exposure to compete strongly at the Arab level, it holds realistic prospects of achieving strong results at the Gulf level.
Meanwhile, player Fatma al Numani confirmed that the past period witnessed significant improvement in team cohesion and noticeable development in tactical and physical aspects. They expressed their confidence in the team’s ability to deliver an honourable performance that reflects the advancement of women’s basketball in Oman.
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