Oman Volleyball edge Saudi Arabia ahead of West Asia Championship
The match was filled with excitement and competitiveness from the first serve to the final point. Saudi Arabia took the first set 25–23 with strong serves that disrupted Oman's blocking. Oman responded dominantly in the second set, led by the attacking duo Saud al Maamari and Ismail al Haidi, to win 25–17.
In the third set, Saudi Arabia capitalised on Oman's receiving errors and powerful attacks to claim it 25–15. However, Oman bounced back in the fourth set with standout performances from Khamis al Amri in defence and Younis al Amri in attack, narrowly winning 29–27.
The Oman team blocked the Saudi attack
In the decisive fifth set, Oman showed remarkable fighting spirit. Despite Saudi Arabia's early lead, a clever point from Adam al Jalboobi turned the tide and Oman sealed the set 15–12, securing the overall victory.
The team is set to continue its friendly series, facing Saudi Arabia again on Saturday evening at 7:00 PM at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher. Two more matches are scheduled for Sunday and Tuesday.
Assistant coach Humaid al Maqbali commented that, "Some players didn't meet expectations, which is normal at this stage of preparation".
"However, we were encouraged by the strong comeback from the bench and the team's determination in the fifth set," he added.
Omani players are pressing forward to score
"All players participated in the match, continuing the rotation policy initiated during the Cairo training camp. The closeness in players' performance levels gives us greater tactical flexibility".
"Saudi Arabia was not initially part of Oman's training plans, but the friendly came at the invitation of the Saudi side, which was welcomed due to Oman's need for high-level matches".
Regarding injuries, Al Maqbali revealed that, "three players are under medical observation: Mahmoud al Saadi, who was injured in the Cairo camp; Hilal al Maqbali, who recently underwent surgery; and Khalid al Maqbali, currently undergoing knee rehabilitation".
Player Mohammed al Maqbali described, "We are currently in an intensive training camp, with sessions held both in the morning and evening. These matches are helping us finalise the lineup and improve team chemistry".
Omani players are pressing forward to score
"The team's performance improved gradually throughout the match, especially as Saudi Arabia fielded a completely new lineup. The coaching staff is focusing on strengthening core skills, such as reception, blocking and attack variations. We are working hard to reach optimal readiness," he ended.
West Asia Championship Draw Puts Oman in Tough Group
The draw for the inaugural West Asia Men's Volleyball Championship took place last Thursday in Manama. Oman was placed in Group B alongside Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, a challenging group that will demand a high level of preparation. Group A includes host nation Bahrain, the UAE, Jordan and Lebanon.
The championship will run from July 17 to 27 and is seen as an important milestone in the participating teams' buildup to upcoming continental tournaments. Expectations are high across the board, with strong technical ambitions from all participating Arab nations.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
13 hours ago
- Observer
Oman Volleyball edge Saudi Arabia ahead of West Asia Championship
MUSCAT: The Oman national volleyball team clinched a valuable victory over Saudi Arabia in a closely contested five-set friendly match, winning 3–2. The match is part of the team's intense preparations for the upcoming West Asia Championship scheduled to take place in Manama, Bahrain later this month, The match was full of excitement and rivalry from the start until the tiebreak. The match was filled with excitement and competitiveness from the first serve to the final point. Saudi Arabia took the first set 25–23 with strong serves that disrupted Oman's blocking. Oman responded dominantly in the second set, led by the attacking duo Saud al Maamari and Ismail al Haidi, to win 25–17. In the third set, Saudi Arabia capitalised on Oman's receiving errors and powerful attacks to claim it 25–15. However, Oman bounced back in the fourth set with standout performances from Khamis al Amri in defence and Younis al Amri in attack, narrowly winning 29–27. The Oman team blocked the Saudi attack In the decisive fifth set, Oman showed remarkable fighting spirit. Despite Saudi Arabia's early lead, a clever point from Adam al Jalboobi turned the tide and Oman sealed the set 15–12, securing the overall victory. The team is set to continue its friendly series, facing Saudi Arabia again on Saturday evening at 7:00 PM at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher. Two more matches are scheduled for Sunday and Tuesday. Assistant coach Humaid al Maqbali commented that, "Some players didn't meet expectations, which is normal at this stage of preparation". "However, we were encouraged by the strong comeback from the bench and the team's determination in the fifth set," he added. Omani players are pressing forward to score "All players participated in the match, continuing the rotation policy initiated during the Cairo training camp. The closeness in players' performance levels gives us greater tactical flexibility". "Saudi Arabia was not initially part of Oman's training plans, but the friendly came at the invitation of the Saudi side, which was welcomed due to Oman's need for high-level matches". Regarding injuries, Al Maqbali revealed that, "three players are under medical observation: Mahmoud al Saadi, who was injured in the Cairo camp; Hilal al Maqbali, who recently underwent surgery; and Khalid al Maqbali, currently undergoing knee rehabilitation". Player Mohammed al Maqbali described, "We are currently in an intensive training camp, with sessions held both in the morning and evening. These matches are helping us finalise the lineup and improve team chemistry". Omani players are pressing forward to score "The team's performance improved gradually throughout the match, especially as Saudi Arabia fielded a completely new lineup. The coaching staff is focusing on strengthening core skills, such as reception, blocking and attack variations. We are working hard to reach optimal readiness," he ended. West Asia Championship Draw Puts Oman in Tough Group The draw for the inaugural West Asia Men's Volleyball Championship took place last Thursday in Manama. Oman was placed in Group B alongside Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, a challenging group that will demand a high level of preparation. Group A includes host nation Bahrain, the UAE, Jordan and Lebanon. The championship will run from July 17 to 27 and is seen as an important milestone in the participating teams' buildup to upcoming continental tournaments. Expectations are high across the board, with strong technical ambitions from all participating Arab nations.
Observer
2 days ago
- Observer
Next season,14 clubs to play in Omantel League
MUSCAT, JULY 2 The Oman Football Association (OFA) has announced its decision to increase the number of clubs participating in the Omantel League from 12 to 14 teams, starting from the 2025–2026 season. This step aims to enhance the most prominent football competition in the Sultanate of Oman and open the door for more clubs to compete at the highest level, thereby contributing to the technical and organisational development of Omani football. The Association also decided to organise the First Division League and the Olympic League at the governorate level, as part of a broader vision to promote sports decentralisation, expand the base of players and teams, and enable talents across various wilayats to emerge within a competitive environment closer to their local communities. The Association clarified that the decision to increase the number of clubs is the result of a series of urgent meetings and studies conducted by the Board of Directors. The findings indicated that increasing the number of teams would lead to more matches per season, thereby boosting fan attendance and creating more opportunities for competition and technical development for both clubs and players. Based on this decision, the Association has resolved to retain Sur and Ibri clubs in the Omantel League for the upcoming season, despite their results warranting relegation to the First Division. However, their continuation is contingent upon meeting technical and administrative requirements, most importantly obtaining the professional league license issued by the Association after reviewing each club's licensing file. If one or both clubs fail to meet these conditions, the opportunity will be given to the highest-ranked teams in the First Division, provided they fulfill the same requirements. This decision came during a meeting of the Board of Directors held on Tuesday at the Association's headquarters, chaired by Sayyid Sulaiman bin Hamood al Busaidy Chairman of OFA, and attended by the vice-president, board members and the secretary-general. The meeting included discussions on several key matters, most notably the financial situation of the Association, reviewing the general budget, cost-reduction strategies and plans to increase revenue. The Board also discussed activating the work of the standing committees and restructuring them in line with the upcoming phase's requirements. Several technical and administrative committee heads were approved and appointed. The national senior team was also a focal point of the meeting. The Board reviewed the upcoming preparation plan, especially for the intercontinental play-off qualifying for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, and preparations for the West Asian Football Federation friendly tournament, which is considered a crucial opportunity for competition and readiness. Several internal and external training camps are also scheduled for the coming period. To support the sustainability of football activity, the Board announced its intention to hold a series of meetings with clubs that had suspended their senior team activities in recent seasons. These meetings aim to explore ways to support and gradually reintegrate them, offering appropriate facilitations within available capacities, particularly on technical and organisational fronts. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Board expressed its deep appreciation for the efforts of the previous board, commending their role in maintaining the Association's stability during challenging times. The Board affirmed its commitment to building on past achievements to ensure further progress in the future.
Observer
3 days ago
- Observer
Oman table tennis players gear up for next tournaments
MUSCAT, JULY 2 The Oman national table tennis team players began an intensive domestic training camp at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat as part of their comprehensive preparations for several significant upcoming international and regional tournaments. The week-long internal camp, which began on Sunday, featured participation from both senior and youth players representing various clubs across the Sultanate of Oman, and is being held under the close supervision of the national technical staff. Led by national team head coach Omid Shamas Sharbabaki, alongside newly appointed assistant head coach Adnan Fawakherji, the camp will aim to deliver maximum technical and tactical outputs. The coaching duo are focused on building team cohesion, enhancing skill sets, and developing game strategies that align with the high standards of international competition. This camp will play a critical role in shaping the future of Omani table tennis not only by refining the skills of the current senior players but also by evaluating promising young talents who may soon earn the national jersey. The coaching staff will end the domestic training camp by finalising the lineup for the upcoming WTT Star Contender Muscat which is one of the prominent events on the global table tennis calendar. The prestigious tournament, scheduled to take place in mid-November in Muscat, will feature a lineup of world-class players and will offer Oman's athletes a golden opportunity to compete against international elites on home soil. Simultaneously, the youth segment of the national team is undergoing a performance evaluation during the camp, as part of the selection process for the 3rd Asian Youth Games, which will be held in Bahrain in October 2025. The technical staff is closely assessing the youth players' progress and adaptability to international standards, with the aim of forming a competitive squad that can represent Oman honorably in the continental multi-sport event. Adding to the busy calendar, Oman is also gearing up to host the Arabian and West Asian Table Tennis Championship for Clubs this coming September. The Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex will once again serve as the host venue for this prestigious regional championship. Oman will be represented by its top three clubs including Salalah, Ibri, and Seeb who were shown consistent performance domestically in the last season and earned the right to compete at this level. The tournament is expected to draw strong participation from top club teams across the Arab and West Asian region, promising high-level competition and great exposure for the local players. Following the conclusion of the current training phase, the national team's preparation will continue with another internal camp phase starting from July 17 to 24 in Muscat. This next stage of preparation will focus on refining techniques and strategies developed during the current camp. The coaching staff will aim to capitalise on the momentum, strengthen areas of improvement identified in previous evaluations, and ensure that both senior and youth squads are progressing in line with international expectations. This multi-phase training programme aim to provide a competitive generation of athletes capable of representing the country at major regional and global events.
