Mundher lives teenage dream

Muscat, April 9 - The Omani teenager drew inspiration from Tour of Oman and delved deep into cycling. Four years later, 18-year-old Mundher al Hasani is the proud winner of Elite and under-23 categories of the recently concluded Oman Cycling Association (OCA) Championship. “Never thought of winning twin titles in the championship competed by many capable local and foreign riders. I faced good competition from the cyclists,” he told the Observer. The under-23 rider finished second in the eighth and final round to complete a double title by clinching the leader’s Omantel red jersey in the Elite category and Bank Nizwa white jersey for under-23 champion. Mundher dominated the Open (Elite) category overall points table with 590 points and topped the under-23 section with 385 points. The Ahli Sidab ‘A’ team cyclist thanked club manager Haitham al Fari, captain Youssef Khanfar and team-mate Abdulaziz al Busaidi for their full support. “The Ahli Sidab club has really supported me throughout my career and this OCA Championship I’m grateful for their crucial backing,” he said. To double the joy, Ahli Sidab ‘A’ also ended winners in the team category. Ahli Sidab ‘A’ emerged champions with 250 points. Royal Army claimed second spot with 210 points and Gulf Cycles finished third with 210 points. Mundher’s team-mate Mohammed al Wahaibi finished third in Elite and junior sections as well to complete the club domination. KEY ROLE OF COACH Coached by Walid Zemni of Tunisia, Mundher is a fan of Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel of UCI Pro Team Alpecin–Fenix. Mundher attributed his stunning turn-around as a top cyclist to coach Zemni, who was instrumental in the 18-year-old winning the under-23 title in OCA Championship in the previous season. “The coach has put out lot of efforts and time with me to oversee my transformation to a better cyclist. He has promised me to prepare better in the next season.” The Tunisian said Al Hasani is a bright future for Oman. “Mundher is a mountain climbing specialist. He performed well during long hard climbs with more than 6.5 per cent elevation like Al Amerat, Misfat Al Abriyeen and Jabal Shams.” The coach highlighted the mental strength of Mundher as key factor for his championship triumph. “He always strives to better himself in individual training sessions and this quality makes Mundher a title contender.” “At his age, he is so composed and mature. The youngster is also patient during the difficult stages of the races and always makes use of the opportunities to make a comeback.” RIVAL’S PRAISE North Road Oman’s Paul Willcox from the United Kingdom, who did not compete in the final race of the eight-stage championship, finished second in Elite category with 462 points. Willcox spared no words to appreciate the Omani youngster’s energetic performance. “He is a good cyclist with a great future. He has performed well under pressure in the final rounds.” “We had some good encounters, which are the highlights of the event,” the seasoned rider added. On the other hand, Mundher said the presence of Willcox had really lifted the standard of the event. “Willcox is a top-level cyclist and it was challenging as well as learning experience when I raced with him.” Willcox won the championship’s Sohar International green jersey for overall winner in the 40 plus category. Mundher said the young cyclists of Oman hold real promise. “I have been competing with a bunch of young Omani riders and they really hold good promise. I could overcome them by virtue of hard work only this season,” he said. Al Hasani, who was found by coach Shihab al Qamshoui as a teenager, called for more support from the association and the government. “We lack specific places to train cyclists and during summer it is difficult for the riders.” “My ambition is to become a professional cyclist and bring laurels for the Sultanate,” he concluded.