Oman U16 basketball team gears up for Asian qualifiers
The Oman national under-16 basketball team continues its intensive preparations for the upcoming Gulf region qualifiers for the Asian Championship, scheduled to be held in Bahrain from July 7 to 12. The top two teams from this stage will qualify for the final continental tournament, making the upcoming competition highly competitive.
As part of their preparation, the team has entered a closed training camp at the Al Buraimi Sports Complex from May 22 to 24, under the supervision of Tunisian head coach Zouheir al Ayachi and his assistant, Omani coach Ali al Balushi. This camp is considered a crucial step in the team's training plan, aiming to raise the players' technical, physical, and tactical readiness and boost team cohesion ahead of the qualifiers.
The camp's first training session was held on Wednesday night, focusing on developing individual skills such as dribbling, passing, and shooting, in addition to training on quick transitions between offence and defence, team defensive coverage, and improving physical fitness. The team is conducting two training sessions daily — morning and evening — and will conclude the camp with a friendly match against the UAE U-16 national team on Sunday, to be held in the United Arab Emirates. This match is expected to be a vital test of the team's readiness.
Fifteen players are participating in the camp: Saddam bin Ali al Shezawi, Khuzaimah bin Ibrahim al Shibli, Rashid bin Salem al Issai, Mohammed bin Ali al Shezawi, Abdul Rahim bin Abdullah al Roshdi, Elias bin Suleiman al Obaidani, Al Mulhim bin Said al Obaidani, Abdul Samad bin Said al Subhi, Muhannad bin Mansour al Batashi, Nawar bin Abdulaziz al Bahlouli, Adam bin Suleiman al Hinai, Jayid bin Hazem al Kindi, Saif bin Suleiman al Yahyai, Sami bin Faisal al Busaidy and Sultan bin Salem al Sanani. Also present at the camp are Ghassan al Busaidy, Director of National Teams, and Amer al Zaydi, physiotherapist.
In an exclusive statement, Coach Zouheir al Ayachi explained that the Al Buraimi camp is a continuation of earlier short camps held at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher. Those camps included several important friendly matches, such as three games against the U18 national team and others against the youth teams of Seeb and Al Amerat clubs — both bolstered by U18 players. He added that the team greatly benefited from these matches, as they allowed the coaching staff to evaluate the players' performance in real-game situations and work on both weaknesses and strengths.
The team also recently played a friendly match against the 'Gym Sports' Basketball Academy in Dubai, which ended in a narrow 70–76 defeat. The match was highly competitive, and all players were given an opportunity to participate. The quarter scores were as follows: Q1 (8–16), Q2 (18–19), Q3 (23–23), and Q4 (21–18). Several players stood out during the game, notably Al Mulhim al Obaidani, who scored 19 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, delivered 4 assists, made 3 blocks, and intercepted 4 passes. Adam al Hinai added 17 points and 7 steals, while Saif Al Yahyai scored 16 points, and Rashid al Issai contributed with 8 assists.
Al Ayachi emphasised that such matches are instrumental in improving the team's performance, noting that the technical staff continues to work on enhancing the players' skills and readiness. He expressed confidence in the young squad's potential, seeing them as a promising foundation for the future of Oman basketball.
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