World champion Omani freediver inspires youths to take up challenges
Published: 05:07 PM,Jul 10,2024 | EDITED : 09:07 PM,Jul 10,2024
World champion Omani freediver inspires youths to take up challenges
Muscat: Driven by a mission to support youth and provide them with ample opportunities, the Youth Centre sponsored its third freediving course, led by freediving world record holder Omar al Ghailani, for a group of 21 students aged 14 to 24 at Masirah Island last month.
The course, hosted at Masirah Island Resort, was conducted by Omar al Ghailani, a world champion athlete and the first certified freediving instructor in Oman.
“We want to share these skills and make this sport more familiar in Oman to expand the students' opportunities, whether they want to open a business or explore the sport further,” Al Ghailani explained.
“The course went well, with our maximum capacity registered and many more people looking to join, which shows a lot of interest in this sport — this is what we aimed for,” he added.
The course offered students a significant opportunity to explore the sport, divided into two parts: theoretical and practical. “The students did really well, showing impressive progress in holding their breath, which makes us confident in the design of the programme and the information provided,” Al Ghailani noted.
The theory session covered the physics of freediving, essential do’s and don’ts, methodology, equipment and safety techniques, ensuring students felt confident before beginning the practical session, which also outlined rescue procedures. The practical session included breathing techniques, fin use, rescue drills and actual freediving.
Omar al Mahrooqi, a student who registered online through the Youth Centre’s website, shared his experience: “I wanted to try something new. I didn’t know what freediving was at first. It seemed much more difficult, but now I understand it and can do it. I have more confidence in the water and am excited to try more freediving courses in the future.” The students came from various parts of Oman, including Muscat, Masirah, Al Mudhaibi, Samayil, and more.
Ahmed al Mahrooqi, another student from Muscat, remarked, “The course was very good. I used to freedive without professional training, which took me 3-4 months to do properly. This course sped up the process to two days. It's amazing how the right coaching and small details can make a big difference. Now it feels like new levels unlocked, and I look forward to practicing more to become a pro athlete.” The same course is planned to take place next in Sur and will continue across Oman with the support of the Youth Centre, inspiring students' goals and dreams and equipping them with the necessary skills for their future.
The course, hosted at Masirah Island Resort, was conducted by Omar al Ghailani, a world champion athlete and the first certified freediving instructor in Oman.
“We want to share these skills and make this sport more familiar in Oman to expand the students' opportunities, whether they want to open a business or explore the sport further,” Al Ghailani explained.
“The course went well, with our maximum capacity registered and many more people looking to join, which shows a lot of interest in this sport — this is what we aimed for,” he added.
The course offered students a significant opportunity to explore the sport, divided into two parts: theoretical and practical. “The students did really well, showing impressive progress in holding their breath, which makes us confident in the design of the programme and the information provided,” Al Ghailani noted.
The theory session covered the physics of freediving, essential do’s and don’ts, methodology, equipment and safety techniques, ensuring students felt confident before beginning the practical session, which also outlined rescue procedures. The practical session included breathing techniques, fin use, rescue drills and actual freediving.
Omar al Mahrooqi, a student who registered online through the Youth Centre’s website, shared his experience: “I wanted to try something new. I didn’t know what freediving was at first. It seemed much more difficult, but now I understand it and can do it. I have more confidence in the water and am excited to try more freediving courses in the future.” The students came from various parts of Oman, including Muscat, Masirah, Al Mudhaibi, Samayil, and more.
Ahmed al Mahrooqi, another student from Muscat, remarked, “The course was very good. I used to freedive without professional training, which took me 3-4 months to do properly. This course sped up the process to two days. It's amazing how the right coaching and small details can make a big difference. Now it feels like new levels unlocked, and I look forward to practicing more to become a pro athlete.” The same course is planned to take place next in Sur and will continue across Oman with the support of the Youth Centre, inspiring students' goals and dreams and equipping them with the necessary skills for their future.