Top seeds shine as Oman Open badminton begins

Muscat, May 8

The 2026 Oman Open Badminton Championship got off to an exciting start on Thursday at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher, with a packed opening day featuring strong competition across men’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles categories as players from Oman and the expatriate community began their quest for top honours.

Organised by the Oman Racket Sports Committee, the three-day championship, which runs until May 9, has attracted a competitive field of players across multiple divisions, with the opening day delivering a series of high-intensity group-stage encounters.

In the men’s singles competition, India’s Balasubramannian NG, top seed in Group A, made an emphatic start with a commanding 21-1, 21-1 victory over Oman's Rashid al Jahdhami, while second seed Ali Shahhosseini opened his Group B campaign in style after defeating Vaibhav Ramadoss 21-12, 21-11.

Group C saw Varun Lakshman continue his impressive form with back-to-back wins, first overcoming Moumen Malkawi 21-14, 21-17 before defeating Basu Dev Gurung 21-15, 21-6 to strengthen his chances of progressing to the knockout rounds.

One of the day’s most competitive encounters came in Group D, where Philip Afolabi battled past Atulit Duhan in three games, winning 21-14, 18-21, 21-9 after a closely contested match.

The men’s doubles competition also produced several notable performances, with Balasubramannian and Rajesh Ravi opening their Group A campaign with a straight-game 21-14, 21-15 win, while Ajmal Ali and Ali Shahhosseini secured a comfortable 21-16, 21-4 victory in Group B.

In mixed doubles, top-seeded pair Balasubramannian and Diya began strongly with a 21-11, 21-10 victory, while Ali Shahhosseini and Sara Shabani also impressed after defeating Gururaj and Amritha in straight games.

Eng Ahmed al Asmi, Secretary of the Oman Racket Sports Committee, said the organisation of the Oman Open Badminton Championship comes as part of the committee’s efforts to promote the sport and expand its base of players across the governorates of the Sultanate of Oman.

He said the committee, chaired by Dr Abdulrahim bin Salim al Droushi, continues to implement programmes and tournaments that strengthen the presence of badminton and raise the level of competition among players.

Al Asmi added that the committee is keen to organise three to four badminton tournaments or events annually, alongside its focus on training centres in Bausher and Al Seeb, which currently include between 60 and 70 male and female players. These players undergo regular training programmes for four days a week at each centre, in addition to a weekly joint training session between the two centres.

He explained that such tournaments provide an important opportunity for Omani players to gain exposure to different levels of competition, especially with the participation of players from various nationalities. This, he said, helps build confidence and develop players’ technical and mental abilities.

“Through these tournaments, we aim to build a strong base of young players who are passionate about the sport and prepare a generation capable of representing Omani badminton in the future”, Al Asmi said.

ENCOURAGING PARTICIPATION

He pointed out that the open championship recorded encouraging participation in its first edition, attracting no fewer than 40 male and female players from different nationalities, noting that the turnout reflects the growing interest in the sport. He also said that the Omani players’ championship and the Omani women’s championship each attracted more than 50 participants, describing the numbers as a positive indicator of the widening base of badminton in Oman.

Al Asmi stressed that the committee’s work is not limited to players; it also includes developing the officiating system through specialised courses for umpires, in cooperation with the Badminton Asia Confederation and the Badminton World Federation, while also providing Omani umpires with opportunities to officiate in overseas tournaments. He also highlighted the committee’s continued efforts to discover talent through school visits and selection programmes, to supply the training centres with promising players who can serve the sport in the future.

Balasubramannian, who won his opening-round match, said the championship started in a positive atmosphere and with professional organisation, praising the quality of the courts and facilities. He added that his goal is to compete for the title, explaining that he began preparing two to three months ago despite working as a badminton coach, because “coaching and competing are two different things”.

He also praised his first-round opponent, describing him as a promising player with the potential to develop.