MUSCAT: Oman’s national athletics team will enter in an intensive preparations stage for the upcoming 20th Asian Games with a final overseas training camp in Bangkok, Thailand, from September 7 to 19, as the athletes will target strong performances at the continental showpiece in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The Asian Games which will be held from September 19 to October 4, bringing together the leading athletes from across Asia. Oman’s athletics delegation will feature a strong mix of sprint and field-event specialists, with the national team using the Thailand camp as the final stage of its preparation before travelling to Japan.
The sprint squad featured from Ali bin Anwar al Balushi, Mulhim bin Darweesh al Balushi, Rashid bin Hewishel al Asmi, Mohammed bin Obaid al Saadi, Anas al Riyami and Ahmed al Jabri, who will compete in the 100m, 200m and men’s 4x400m relay. In the women’s sprint events, Mazoon bint Khalfan al Alawi and Azza bint Sultan al Yaarubi will compete in the 100m and 200m. The field-event contingent comprised from jumper Salim bin Abdullah al Rawahi, alongside Fatik Abdulghafoor, Mubeen al Kindi and Aliya bint Faiq al Mugheri.
FINAL TEST BEFORE JAPAN
Speaking to Oman Observer, national sprint coach Mohammed al Hooti said the team had been following a continuous preparation programme involving a series of training camps at home and abroad. “The sprint team, including Mulhim al Balushi, Mohammed al Saadi and Mazoon al Alawi are currently in Salalah for a nine-day internal camp as part of our preparation following the successful camp in Izmir, Türkiye, earlier this month” Al Hooti said.
“We also had a training camp in Spain in June. These continuous camps have helped us maintain momentum and ensure that the athletes are progressing well towards the major competitions ahead.”
The Thailand camp will bring together all members of the national athletics team and will serve as the final preparation phase before the athletes travel to Japan. “We selected Bangkok for the final camp because the weather and climate are relatively similar to the conditions expected in Japan. This will help the athletes adapt to the environment and prepare for the technical and physical demands of the Asian Games,” Al Hooti explained.
The athletes will undergo two training sessions each day, in the morning and evening, with particular attention given to sprint technique, starting strategies and race execution.
Before heading to Thailand, Oman’s athletes will compete in the inaugural Muscat Grand Prix – World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze, scheduled for September 5 at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.
Al Hooti believes the home event will provide an important competitive test for the national team. “The Muscat Grand Prix will be a very good opportunity for our athletes to compete before travelling to Thailand. It will give them valuable race exposure and serve as an important test of their readiness ahead of the Asian Games,” he said.
Competing against international athletes in Muscat will allow the Omani sprinters to assess their current form under competitive conditions and make final adjustments to their preparations before the continental event.
Oman will miss one of its leading middle-distance athletes, Hussain al Farsi, who will be unable to compete at this year’s Asian Games due to injury. Al Farsi made history at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou by winning the bronze medal in the men’s 800m, becoming one of Oman’s standout performers at the continental event. His absence will be a setback for the national team, but Oman will rely on its sprint and field-event athletes to carry the challenge in Aichi-Nagoya.
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