Tuesday 26 / November / 2024
MUSCAT: In an exciting and a thrilling final for the hockey championship in the Oman India Sports Meet, held at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Bausher, Sidab Friends beat Seeb Club with a score of 4-3 in the penalty shootout to emerge as champions.
Both teams were locked at 2-2 at the end of the regular time. Seeb Club despite the fact that they had Oman National team players in their side was under pressure with the ball moving from end to end in a rapid pace. The Sidab Friends team with many experienced players in their ranks never gave the opponents a chance to lead the game. On two occasions Seeb Club took the lead and Sidab Friends came back to find the equaliser.
The tournament was organized by the Malayalam Wing of the Indian Social Club as part of Oman-India Sports Meet 2018, under the ageis of Embassy of India and the Ministry of Sports Affairs.
The teams that participated were Seeb Club, Al Ahli Sidab Club, Sidab Friends, Al Salam Sports Club, Muscat Sports Club, Saham Sports Club and the expatriate team UTSC.
In the semifinal match, Seeb Club defeated Al Ahli Sidab Club with a score of 4-3 in the penalty shootout and Sidab Friends beat Al Salam Sports Club with a score of 4-3 in the same manner. The tournament was well supported by UTSC, a club based in Thalessery which has a high reputation of having well-known hockey enthusiasts as its members and was officiated by international umpires from Oman.
Earlier the tournament was inaugurated by Saleh Khalifa Al Khusaibi, former advisor to the Ministry of Sports and secretary general of Oman Olympic Committee, who was the chief guest for the function. The guest of honours were Captain Talib Al Wahaibi, chairman of Oman Hockey Association, Ahmed Faisal Al Jhadhamy, director of sports, and S.A.S. Naqvi, the hockey veteran and presently the Sports Consultant of Oman Hockey Association and Abdul Rehman Yahya Issa Al Raisi, hockey coach.
T. Bhaskaran, convener of Malayalam Wing said, "We are very happy with the outcome of the tournament with some exciting matches played here and watched by both the Indian community as well as the Omani citizens playing together exhibits the love and affection we have for each other in this wonderful country".
"The trophies and prizes will be given at the Grand Finale of Oman India Sports Meet, which will be held at end of December.
Mohammed Ali Al Qasmi of Sidab Friends was voted the Best Goalkeeper, Mehmood Al Hassni of Seeb Club was adjudged as the Best Defender, Fahad Hassan Al Lawati of Seeb Club was selected as the Top Scorer, while Ilyas Suleiman of Al Salam Sports Club was adjudged the Player of the Tournament.
