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Observer
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Oman Stun Croatia in Beach Handball
MUSCAT, June 20 The Oman U-17 beach handball team delivered one of the most remarkable performances at the underway 2025 IHF Men's Junior Beach Handball World Championship in Hammamet, Tunisia on Thursday night following their victory over title holders Croatia in a dramatic 2-1 triumph during the main round competitions of the global event. The win marks a historic milestone for Oman boys in their debut appearance at the World Championship and placed them in strong contention for a quarterfinal berth. After dropping the first set by 22-12, Oman junior stars stormed back to take the lead in the second set by 22-20 before they sealed the victory in the penalty shootout by 9-6 thanks to two crucial saves by Oman's goalies Majid al Ghilani and Louay al Sulaimani. Oman head coach Jaber Yaqub al Balushi praised the players' resilience and efforts throughout the match. ' Despite the delay and losing in the opening set, our boys delivered an incredible discipline and mental strength in the second half. The players followed the tactical instructions perfectly and the goalkeepers were outstanding in the shootout. This win will give us tremendous motivation for the remaining matches in the round,' He said. The Oman Handball Association (OHA) chairman Moosa bin Khamis al Balushi thanked the players for their exceeding performance. OHA chief continued his close follow up to the team from Muscat through phone calls and extended his congratulations to the squad for their achievement. He requested from the players to maintain the same level of focus as they pursue a spot in the tournament's final eight. The opponent Croatia players started strongly in the match as they managed to earn the opening set by 22-12. Then, Oman regrouped with a composed and tactical second-half performance by head coach Jaber al Balushi who made few critical adjustments and urging the players to focus on positioning, composure and capitalising on Croatian errors. Oman players began the second half with better focus as they took the control and were leading by 6-4 through sharp attacks from Khattab al Hosni and Imad al Ghilani. Oman maintained the edge despite Croatia's relentless pressure eventually tying the score at 20-20 in the final minute. In the dying seconds, Coach Jaber called a strategic timeout as Mohammed al Hosni responded with a clutch point to seal the half and force a shootout. Oman converted all five of their penalty shots with composure while the defence stood tall. The turning point came when Oman's goalkeepers al Ghilani and al Sulaimani each saved Croatian attempt and ensured a famous win for Oman's junior stars. The 2025 championship featured from 32 teams in its largest edition ever with Oman having qualified after finishing fourth at the Asian Junior Beach Handball Championship in Thailand earlier this year.
Observer
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Oman into the 2nd round of Beach Handball Championship
MUSCAT, JUNE 19 The Oman U-17 beach handball team advanced to the main round of the 2025 IHF Men's Junior Beach Handball World Championship following their impressive victory over Puerto Rico by 2-1 in their final group stage match late on Wednesday. The thrilling win took Oman junior stars in the second position of Group A behind the toppers Spain who led the group with two victories. The triumph meant, Oman earned their place among the top twelve teams of the tournament and now prepares to face European powerhouses including: Croatia, Germany and Hungary in the second round. The win against Puerto Rico revived debutant Oman hopes to continue in the competitions of the global event. Oman team players suffered to a 2-0 loss against Spain but they bounced back strongly and displayed composure and resilience in a tightly contested encounter. Oman took the first half and ended at 10-8 while Puerto Rico managed to end the second half by 18-16. The match was decided via a penalty shootout as Oman's goalie Louay al Sulaimani made a crucial save and Oman's star player Salim al Oraimi scored the decisive point to seal a 9-8 shootout win. With the winning result, Oman entered the main round carrying over their points from matches against Spain and Puerto Rico. In this stage and accordingly to playing format of the tournament, the top three teams from Group A will face the top three from Group B including: Germany, who ended as group topper, Croatia -finished in second place and Hungary who completed their group stage campaign in third place. Oman team will meet Croatia earlier on Friday and then they will face Germany while they will conclude their matches by an encounter against Hungary late in the same day. Oman assistant head coach Arif al Balushi expressed pride in the players' efforts and highlighted the importance of maintaining focus:' The win over Puerto Rico showed the team's character and ability to bounce back under pressure after the defeat against Spain in the opening game. We will face tough and elite European teams in the second phase of the tournament. The team players prepared well and are determined to compete with proper discipline and technique." He said 'The second round will be more challenging but our goal is to build on our momentum and secure a historic semifinal berth.' He ended This edition of the IHF Junior Beach Handball World Championship is the largest in history, featuring 32 nations across the globe. Oman's participation was made possible through a recommendation from the Asian Handball Federation, following their fourth-place finish at the Asian event held in Thailand.
