Muscat: Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli team beat Qatar's Al Ethihad 9-4 to emerge champions in the Gulf Clubs and Associations Challenge Goalball Championship for the Blind . Oman's Al Noor team secured third place after overcoming Bahrain's Al Sadaqa 11-3.
The tournament, hosted by the Al Noor Association for the Blind in cooperation with the Oman Paralympic Committee, witnessed six teams compete in 19 exciting matches. The final matches were held under the auspices of HH Sayyid Fahr bin Fatik al Said.
The final match between Saudi Arabia and Qatar was a thrilling encounter. In the third minute, Waleed al Kaabi scored for Saudi Arabia. Qatar's Ekrami Ahmed Madad equalised with a penalty kick, but Ibrahim Nasser quickly restored Saudi's lead.
Saudi Arabia maintained their advantage despite Qatar's efforts to equalize, Saudi Arabia's coach requested a timeout to regroup, which resulted in a third goal from Ibrahim Nasser, ending the first half with Saudi Arabia leading 3-1.
In the second half, Mubarak al Shehrani extended Saudi Arabia's lead with a goal in the second minute. Ekrami Madad narrowed the gap by score a goal in the seventh minute. Ibrahim Nasser swiftly responded with Saudi Arabia's fifth goal.
Saudi Arabia earned a penalty kick, which Ibrahim Nasser converted successfully. Followed by another goal from Madad for Qatar, kept the match intense. However, Mubarak al Shehrani and Nasser added more goals, ending the game with a 9-4 victory for Saudi Arabia.
The third-place match between Oman's Al Noor and Bahrain's Al Sadaqa started cautiously. Khamis al Salti scored the first goal for Al Noor, followed by an equalizer from Bahrain's Ali Asad. Goals were exchanged, with Al Noor leading 5-3 at halftime.
In the second half, Imad al Hajji scored early for Al Noor, while Bahrain missed several opportunities, while Khamis al Salti and Al Hajji continued to add goals for Al Noor. Despite Bahrain's attempts to catch up, Al Noor's defense held strong, securing an 11-3 victory.
Dr Mansour al Touqi, head of Oman Paralympic Committee, said "We are celebrating today the honoring of the Goalball Knights for the Blind with the participation of 6 teams and more than 80 administrators, referees, and volunteers. The championship witnessed 19 exciting matches characterised by fair competition and the outstanding skills of the visually impaired, which showed a wonderful model of cooperation and integration."
He added: "We conclude the championship with the fruits of the efforts of our youth to achieve the goals of Oman Vision 2040 in providing comprehensive sports care for people with disabilities. Omani cadres of both sexes have been trained to manage events efficiently, and we look forward to hosting international and continental championships shortly."
Dr Raed al Farsi, Chairman of Al Noor Association for the Blind, said: "We are celebrating today the crowning of the winners of the Gulf Clubs and Associations Challenge Championship for Goalball for the Blind, which represents the beginning of a series of joint championships and programmes between the associations of the visually impaired in the Gulf. I congratulate the winning teams that embodied the spirit of challenge and determination, and highlighted the meanings of cooperation and fair competition with their high levels and outstanding performance."
HH Sayyid Fahr al Said presented awards to the sponsors, organizers, and volunteers, as well as to the tournament's top scorer, Ekrami Ahmed Madad of Qatar. He then presented the championship trophy and gold medals to Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli, silver medals to the Qatari team, and bronze medals to the Omani Al Noor team.
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