MUSCAT, SEPT 22
Omani national teams continue their participation in the 20th Asian Games at Aichi-Nagoya in Japan, being held from September 19 to October 4. The fencing team has begun its campaign in the individual foil and épée events, while the hockey team suffered its second consecutive loss — this time against Malaysia — and the shooting team was eliminated from the mixed 10m event qualifiers.
On Wednesday, the Oman Beach Volleyball Team B — comprising Ahmed al Hosni and Khalfan al Maamari — plays their second match against Iran, aiming to bounce back following a loss to Thailand in the opening match.
FENCERS REACH ROUND OF 16
On Tuesday, the national fencing team made its historic debut at the 2026 Asian Games. Ahmed Kaskas and Saeed al Shueibi competed in the foil event, while Jana al Sharji and Salma al Dughaishi competed in the épée category.
In the group stage, Al Shueibi was eliminated after losing all his matches: 5–1 to Hong Kong’s Cheung Ka-long; 5–1 to the Philippines’ Samuel Tranquilan; 5–3 to Singapore’s Jwan Kang; and consecutive 5–1 losses to Japan’s Kazuki Iimura and India’s Himash Singh.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Kaskas qualified for the Round of 16 after defeating Pakistan’s Muhammad Yaseen Khan, despite subsequent losses to China’s Zaran Zheng, Qatar’s Abdulrahman Bourgharib, Kazakhstan’s Semyonov, and South Korea’s Lee Kwang-hyun; he was ultimately eliminated in the Round of 16 by China’s Ji Xu.
In the women's events, Salma al Dughaishi lost 5–2 to Singapore’s Tikana Kiria, and by the same score to Japan’s Miho Yoshimura and Kuwait’s Fawziya al Refaei; she also lost 5–1 to Kaylin Yan (Hong Kong) before defeating Thailand’s Thiankul, resulting in her elimination in the group stage. Jana al Sharji defeated opponents from Uzbekistan and Indonesia but lost to Thai Tran (Vietnam), Sera Song (South Korea), Ash Chan (Hong Kong), and Amarazia (Mongolia); she qualified for the Round of 16 but was defeated by the South Korean fencer Lim Taihe.
HIGH LEVEL OF COMPETITION
Oman fencer Jana al Sharji said she had anticipated the high level of competition witnessed during the fencing events, noting that the Games features an elite group of the world's best female fencers.
"I expected this intense competition among the athletes, given that the tournament brings together some of the world's most prominent fencers. On a personal level, I had great confidence in my abilities; I expected to reach this stage and even aspired to go further," Jana said.
She added: "I am still young compared to many of the participating athletes, and tournaments like this provide me with valuable experience. Reaching the Round of 16 serves as an added incentive to continue working hard and striving to win medals for Oman; however, this requires me to redouble my training efforts and continue developing my technical skills."
Jana also discussed the group stage matches in the épée event, stating: "I faced top-tier opponents, including South Korea's Sera Song — a former world champion. I managed to hold my own against her during the bout before her experience ultimately decided the outcome in her favour."
Another Omani fencer Ahmed Kaskas, affirmed that the team's debut in this championship was a significant and challenging experience, noting that the level of competition exceeded the players' expectations.
"As this was our first time participating, we did not anticipate such a high level of competition," Kaskas said. "The group stage was extremely tough, with every athlete striving to prove themselves through their strength, skill, and technical ability."
Oman fencing coach Hicham Ben Ali Karchoud, described the results achieved on the opening day as confirmation that the sport is moving in the right direction in Oman.
Karchoud said: "On the opening day, our athletes delivered a performance that was both honourable and promising — especially considering their youth and the fact that this is one of their first experiences in a major senior-level tournament, set against the backdrop of this massive continental event and significant media attention."
He added: "In the men's foil event, Ahmed Anwar Kaskas successfully advanced from the group stage before facing a Chinese fencer ranked seventh in the world. Despite the difficulty of the match, Ahmed displayed a fighting spirit and a high level of performance — a foundation upon which we can build for future success. In the women's épée, 15-year-old Jana al Sharji also performed well; she secured two victories in the group stage and advanced to the next round before facing the world number three; despite the loss, her performance was positive, confirming she has a promising future."
SHOOTING TEAM OUT FROM MIXED EVENT
The Omani mixed 10m shooting team, comprising Al Anoud al Khalili and Khalid al Kalbani,
finished sixth out of 17 participating teams with a score of 628.3 points. They were eliminated
in the qualifying round, from which four teams — China, India, Japan, and South Korea — advanced to compete for the mixed 10m medals. Oman finished sixth.
HEAVY DEFEAT FOR HOCKEY TEAM
Oman hockey team lost its second match, against Malaysia, falling 7–0 in a game held at Gifu Stadium. Malaysia’s goals were scored by Faizal Saari, Aiman Rozmi (twice), Shilo Silvaris, Abu Kamal Azrai, and Anwar Khemallah. Malaysia dominated the match, scoring once in the first quarter and three times in the second. They maintained their control in the third quarter with another goal, then added two more in the fourth, resulting in a 7–0 victory. Oman are set to play their third match against Uzbekistan on Thursday at 10 am (Oman time).
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