MUSCAT: Oman’s junior national tennis players have completed an overseas training camp at Smash Academy in Cairo, Egypt, as part of the Oman Tennis Association’s programme to develop young players and prepare them for upcoming international competitions.
The camp, held for the second consecutive year, featured 13 boys and girls from Oman’s Under-10, Under-14 and Under-16 national teams. The programme focused on improving the players’ technical and physical levels while providing valuable competitive exposure ahead of future assignments.
The Under-14 squad comprised Munther al Amri, Emad al Rahbi, and Reema al Hashmi, accompanied by team official Mohammed al Dairi.
The Under-10 group included Omar al Shaibani, Hatim al Rahbi, Hood al Hashmi, Fayadh al Hilali, and Ali al Riyami, with Ahmed al Balushi serving as head of the delegation.
The first group to attend the camp featured the Under-16 players Abdulrahman Al Rahbi, Moataz al Mazroui, Areen al Azkawi, Salma al Riyami and Talia al Busaidi, accompanied by delegation head Sarah bint Abdulmajid al Balushi.
Ahmed al Balushi said the camp had achieved its technical objectives and offered the players a comprehensive development programme.
“The camp was successful and achieved its technical goals by helping improve the players’ levels. The programme also included sessions on mental preparation and nutrition,” he said.
“Our players contested friendly matches against players from Smash Academy and other academies, which provided them with valuable experience. They also went through intensive training sessions under specialised coaches.”
Al Balushi expressed hope that the programme would help the young players deliver strong results in upcoming international competitions while also improving their positions in the international rankings.
Under-16 player Abdulrahman al Rahbi said the camp had provided an important learning experience.
“I am happy to have taken part in this training camp. We benefited greatly from the intensive training sessions and the many friendly matches we played. We are looking to build on this experience and achieve good results in our upcoming competitions,” he said.
Areen al Azkawi also praised the programme and thanked the Oman Tennis Association for providing the players with the opportunity to train in Cairo.
“We thank the Oman Tennis Association for organising this training programme and the national team officials for their efforts in facilitating our participation,” she said.
“We have seen clear improvement in our technical level thanks to the facilities and the expertise of the coaches at the academy.”
The Cairo camp forms part of the association’s ongoing efforts to strengthen Oman’s junior national teams by providing young players with intensive training and international exposure at an early stage of their development.
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