The Sultanate's tennis teams experienced mixed luck at the Islamic Solidarity Games here yesterday with the men's team suffering defeat at the hands of Turkey and women's squad making it to the semifinals thanks to a favourable draw. In the men's team competition, the Omanis had a forgettable outing after they were completely dominated by the Turkish lads in a 3-0 victory.
In the first singles, Mohammed Al Nabhani lost by a 6-3, 6-2 margin while Saleh Al Zadjali was defeated 6-3, 6-1. In the doubles, Omran Al Balushi and Abdulmalik Al Awfi managed to win just two games before losing 6-1, 6-1.
In the women's team event, Oman can expect a medal after Fatma Al Nabhani and Sarah Al Balushi were given a bye into the second round of the competition that also comprises Turkey, Morocco, Algeria and Indonesia.
In her remarks, Sarah Al Balushi said the team are ready for the challenge after undergoing ideal training sessions.
"We are all set and ready for the challenge. We will fight to reach the podium and hopefully our experience will play a major role in clinching a medal," she said.
Meanwhile, the other Omani teams are scheduled to start their participation today.
In beach volleyball, Oman A team of Haitham Al Shuraiqi and Ahmed Al Hosni, and Oman B squad of Badr Al Subhi and Hassan Al Balushi will be playing five matches during the competition.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that Badr Al Subhi suffered an injury on his right leg during the training sessions and had to be taken to the doctor, who assured that his 'condition is stable but needs to relax to recover soon'.
Team coach Khalifa Al Jabri said that Badr's injury is just a minor one and he will be playing in today's matches even though the technical team called off yesterday's training session as a precaution.
The Omanis will also be in action in the delayed weightlifting competition today. The competition was scheduled to start yesterday but was postponed by a day due to issues over venue and delay in giving the schedule to the participants.
In today's competition, Mohanna Al Abdali will be in action in the 62kg category while Mohammed Al Marhoobi will compete in 77kg event tomorrow. Al Abdali will be competing against a number of world champions as well as Arab stars including Saudi Arabia's Abdullatif Qadir and Egyptian Ahmed Mohammed.
The two Omani weightlifters, meanwhile, said they are through with their training and are now ready to compete with the best from the Islamic nations.
Sprint challenge starts
Sprinter star Barakat Al Harthy will spearhead Oman's challenge as the athletics action begins today. Barakat, a 100m bronze medallist at the Guangzhou Asian Games, and Abdullah Al Sooli will be in action.
Three of Omani girls will also be in action today with Shnoona Al Habsi and Mazoon Al Alawi competing in 100m and Raghad Al Zubaidi participating in the discus throw.
Oman teams have started competing at the 3rd Islamic Solidarity Games in this South Sumatran capital city with the significant participation from other Islamic countries.
Sultanate's tennis team, which also comprises Davis Cup players Mohammed Al Nabhani and Saleh Al Zadjali as well as star player Fatma Al Nabhani and Sarah Al Balushi, begin their campaign today. While they will be in action in the morning, weightlifters Mohammed Sultan Al Marhoobi, Muhanna Mohammed Al Abdali and Suhail Mahfood Ali Al Kulaibi, are scheduled to compete in the evening.
The two Omani beach volleyball teams will start their participation tomorrow and so will the athletic team. In athletics the Sultanate can realistically look forward for a medal with star sprinter Barakat Al Harthy, a 100m bronze medallist in the Guangzhou Asian Games, among their ranks.
Meanwhile, an official of the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) said all the participating teams are ready for the competition through training sessions and technical meetings. The official also revealed that Oman athletics, tennis and weightlifting teams faced some problems in registering their entries some competitions but it the problems were sorted out thanks to the great efforts made by the mission officials.
The OOC officials also said that Omani teams seek to bag medals during today's proceedings, when a number of medals will be up grabs in various competitions, including weightlifting.
Earlier, OOC Chairman Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Zubair met the Omani mission at the Athletes Village in the presence of General Secretary Taha Al Kishry and other members. During his speech, he exhorted all the teams and athletes to give their best and try to win laurels for the country.
Al Zubair also talked about the importance of the participation and the objectives set out in the community of the Muslim world under one umbrella.
Al Zubair added that the Games are aimed at create harmony, love and peace among nations.
He also said that 'we are partners in the development of sport in Oman and its future through the efforts of everyone in the representation of the Sultanate in such international competitions'.
At the conclusion of his speech, he lauded the efforts of the mission administration in facilitating the requirements of the athletes and the other officials.
Meanwhile, Said Al Harthy, Oman shooting team coach, expressed shocked over the exclusion of a number of national team players from the list of participants despite the fact that the mission has officially registered the list, which was approved by the Organising Committee. An emergency meeting was held between the athletes mission and Oman chef de mission Ahmed Al Balushi to discuss the issue.
Then Al Balushi met the organising committee to sort out the issue, following which the committee also issued an apology.
The Omani athletes and tennis teams also complained about the quality of food being served at the hotel in which they are staying. But it was also solved thanks to the efforts of OOC General Secretary Taha Al Kishry. .
Oman has withdrew from football games of the Islamic Solidarity Games branch in Palembang, 16 – 20 September 2013. “The committee organizer received information that Oman had canceled their participation. Therefore, total of the participants in football games are only seven countries”, said Faisal Mursyid, the Coordinator of football games Islamic Solidarity Games Organizer Committee (InaISGOC) South Sumatera, yesterday. Oman was the fifth country that has canceled their participation.
Previously, Libya, Kuwait, Qatar, and Uni Emirat Arab (UEA) had already declaired their resignation. “The committee does not know the reason why that five countries canceled their participation even though the draw had been followed by them some time ago”, he said. At first, the committee had launched the participants of football games were twelve countries, i,e Indonesia, Saudi Arabian, Irak, Kuwait, Oman, Turkey, UEA, Qatar, Suriah, Palestine, Morocco, Libya – devided into two groups based on the result of drawing.
However, in the last two days before the match, the committee organizer claimed only seven countries took part, namely Indonesia, Arab Saudi, Irak, Turkey, Suriah, Palestine, and Morocco. “Some participants are slowly coming as Turkey last Friday night (13/9), yesterday was Palestine, and the team from Indonesia is tomorrow”, he explained. The match’s schedule will be changed after Oman’s resignation.
Football matches will be held earlier than the other sports by utilizing of two stadiums, Gelora Sriwijaya Jakabaring Stadium and Madya Bumi Sriwijaya Stadium. A total of 44 countries participated in the multi-event of the Organization Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to be held in Palembang, September 22 – October 1, 2013. (Adr).
INDONESIA UPDATED. Negara Oman membatalkan keikutsertaannya pada cabang olahraga sepak bola dalam "Islamic Solidarity Games III" di Palembang, 16-20 September 2013. Pembatalan itu pun mengurangi jumlah peserta kegiatan tersebut.
"Panitia pelaksana mendapatkan informasi, (Jumat, 13/9), bahwa Oman membatalkan keikutsertaannya sehingga total peserta hanya tujuh negara," kata Koordinator Bidang Pertandingan Sepak Bola Panitia Pelaksana Islamic Solidarity Games (InaISGOC) Sumatera Selatan Faisal Mursyid di Palembang, Sabtu (14/9).
Ia menerangkansebelumnya panitia pelaksana juga mendapatkan konfirmasi bahwa tiga negara batal mengikuti pertandingan sepak bola, yakni Libya, Kuwait, Qatar, dan Uni Emirat Arab. "Panitia tidak mengetahui alasan kelima negara tersebut membatalkan keikutsertaan meski sudah mengikuti undian (drawing) beberapa waktu lalu," katanya.
Semula panitia melansir 12 negara sebagai peserta cabang olahraga sepak bola yakni Indonesia, Arab Saudi, Irak, Kuwait, Oman, Turki, Uni Emirat Arab, Qatar, Suriah, Palestina, Maroco, Libya, dengan dibagi dalam dua grup berdasarkan hasil undian.
Namun, pada dua hari menjelang pertandingan, panitia pelaksana menyatakan hanya tujuh negara yang ambil bagian yakni Indonesia, Arab Saudi, Irak, Turki, Suriah, Palestina, Maroko.
"Tim negara peserta sudah berangsur berdatangan, seperti Turki pada Jumat (13/9) malam, Palestina pada hari ini, dan Timnas Indonesia sendiri yang dijadwalkan pada 17 September," katanya.
Terkait dengan jadwal pertandingan, menurutnya, mengalami perubahan mengingat terjadi pengurangan jumlah peserta. "Pastinya akan ada undian ulang, namun harus dipastikan dahulu harus dijadikan satu grup atau dua grup, Semuanya akan ditentukan berdasarkan rapat bersama negara peserta pada hari ini," ujarnya.
Pertandingan sepak bola akan dilaksanakan lebih awal dibandingkan cabang olahraga lain dengan memanfaatkan dua stadion yakni Stadion Gelora Sriwijaya Jakabaring dan Stadion Madya Bumi Sriwijaya.
Sementara, sebanyak 44 negara memastikan ambil bagian pada ISG III di Palembang, 22 September-1 Oktober 2013.
The Sultanate will be competing in six disciplines in the forthcoming Islamic Solidarity Games to be organised in Indonesia from September 22 to October 1 with the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) deciding to send a large contingent to the third edition of the Games in the South Sumatra capital of Palembang.
According to OOC Secretary-General Taha bin Sulaiman Al Kishry, Oman will be fielding teams in football, beach volleyball, swimming, tennis, athletics and weightlifting.
The Oman Olympic official also revealed that Oman delegation will be 77-member strong, including athletes and officials.
The Games will see participation of around 55 nations from the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference and will feature 13 sports. But the Omanis will be represented in just six events.
Explaining the reason for selecting only six teams for the South Sumatra sojourn, Oman delegation's chef de mission Ahmed Darwish said: "An OOC committee had looked into several aspects of the teams and after assessing the status of each team they have decided to send these six teams."
Speaking to Times Sport on the eve of his departure to Indonesia, Ahmed said: "The committee has selected the team which are best and which are either capable of earning good results or deserve to be given exposure at the international level."
"These Games are a big opportunity for our athletes to compete against the best from the Arab and Islamic nations. There will be athletes from Asia and Africa and other countries like Turkey too. So it will be a good experience for our teams to compete and learn from them."
Speaking about Oman's chances of winning medals, Ahmed said: "We are very hopeful our teams will achieve good results. God willing they will come back with some medals as well."
Footballers leave early
Though the Games start on September 22, the Sultanate's challenge will begin on September 17 when the football team will launch their campaign.
Ahmed informed that Oman will be fielding the national under-23 team in the 12-team competition, which will provide a golden opportunity for Frenchman Philippe Brule's boys to win back the hearts of their fans.
The squad, who drew flak for their unimpressive performances in the recent GCC Under-23 Championship, are placed in a four-team Group C along with Morocco, Qatar and Syria.
"We are expecting good performance and good result from our football team," said Ahmed adding that the team will head to Indonesia on September 13.
The OOC also has high hopes on beach volleyball and athletic teams. "Our beach volleyball teams have been performing extremely well in the GCC and Arab levels as well as the Asian competitions. So we can realistically expect some medals in that discipline and it's the same with the athletics," he said.
In beach volleyball Oman will be represented by two teams, Haitham Al Shuraiqi and Hassan Al Balushi, and Badr Al Subhi and Ahmed Al Hosni.
Barakat in focus
In athletics though, Oman can realistically expect a medal from sprint specialist Barakat Al Harthi.
The Guangzhou Asian Games 100m bronze medallist will lead the team that also comprises Abdullah Al Sooli, Fahad Al Jabri, Khamis Ghabish Al Qatiti, Obaid Al Quraini and Mohammed Obaid Hindi.
There will also be five women athletes in action, including well-known sprinters Buthaina Al Yaqoobi and Shnoona Al Habsi as well as Hiba Al Asmi, Raghad Nabil Al Zubaidi and Mazoon Al Alawi.
However, the Oman Swimming Association, which is headed by Taha Al Kishry, will be sending just one athlete — Aiman Al Kulaibi.
Aiman, who has been taking part in the 50m and 100m backstroke events in the region, is likely to compete in both his favourite events.
Tennis challenge
Meanwhile, Al Nabhani siblings, Fatma and Mohammed, have been selected to spearhead the tennis challenge.
Fatma, the only Omani girl to make a mark at the international level, will be teaming up with Sarah Al Balushi in the women's competition while her brother Mohammed will lead the men's team that also consists of Saleh Al Zadjali, Abdulmalik Al Awfi and Omran Al Balushi.
Ahmed, meanwhile, informed the swimming team will comprise two young lifters in Mohammed Sultan Al Marhoobi and Muhanna Mohammed Al Abdali.
Teams:
Athletics: Abdullah Al Sooli, Barakat Al Harthi, Fahd Khalid Al Jabri, Khamis Ghabish Al Qatiti, Obaid Abdullah Al Quraini, Mohammed Obaid Hindi, Buthaina Eid Al Yaqoobi, Hiba Mohammed Al Asmi, Raghad Nabil Al Zubaidi, Shnoona Al Habsi, Mazoon Khalfan Al Alawi. Coaches: Pozdnyakov Vyacheslav.
Football: Hatem Khamis Al Hamhami, Sami Khamis Al Hasani, Basil Abdullah Al Rawahi, Abdullah Saleh Abdulhadi, Mazen Al Saadi, Mahannad Obaid Al Zaabi, Tareq Mustahail, Muheeb Izzat Issa, Mohammed Faraj Al Rawahi, Basim Abdullah Al Rajaibi, Ahmed Nasser Al Quraini, Mana Al Mukhaini, Abdullah Nooh Al Hamar, Sami Mubarak Ba Awain, Badr Naseeb Bamasila, Ali Salim Al Nahar, Mubarak Al Maqbali, Qayasar Khamis Al Habsi, Hamood Saleh Al Saadi, Ali Sulaiman Al Busaidi, Mazen Al Kasbi, Ahmed Abdulkhair, Sulaiman Said Al Gheilani. Coach: Philippe Burle. Goalkeeper coach: Haroon Amur Al Bartamani.
Swimming: Aiman Hamed Al Kulaibi.
Tennis: Fatma Al Nabhani, Sarah Al Balushi, Saleh Ghazi Al Zadjali, Mohammed Al Nabhani, Abdulmalik Al Awfi, Omran Mohammed Al Balushi. Coaches: Hadia Mohammed Mustafa, Christian Emerson.
Beach volleyball: Haitham Al Shuraiqi and Hassan al Balushi, Badr al Subhi and Ahmed al Hosni.
Coach: Khalifa Al Jabri.
Weightlifting: Mohammed Sultan Al Marhoobi, Muhanna Mohammed Al Abdali.
