MUSCAT: The hockey camp for the national teams under-18 for both males and females began at the Oman Hockey Stadium in Al Amerat. The camp will continue for 10 consecutive days, from August 6 to 16.
The event includes intensive training aimed at improving the technical and skill aspects of the players, with a focus on implementing tactical plans and participating in friendly matches.
The programme also includes recording and analysing matches and holding technical meetings with the administrative and technical bodies to evaluate the players’ performance and identify candidates to join the initial lists of the national teams.
74 male and female players from various hockey preparation centres in the governorates of Oman are participating in this camp. The training includes separate periods for both males and females, with a focus on developing their skills and tactical abilities.
Mohammed al Gharabi, administrator of the national hockey teams, stressed the importance of the camp in refining the skills of male and female players and selecting the elite among them to represent the national teams under 18-years-old.
He also pointed out that after the camp ends, a training plan will be developed at the governorate level, in addition to joint training for all centres in Muscat or Dhofar. This camp is an important step towards forming the first women's team under-18 years in the history of Omani hockey, which confirms the keenness of the Oman Hockey Association and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth to involve women in the game.
Mohammed Bait Jandal, coach of the national team under-18 for women, explained that the camp represents an opportunity to evaluate the performance of 28 players selected from different governorates, as they possess the basic skills that qualify them to join the team. He stressed that the players have high ambitions and love for the game, which contributes to achieving the goals of the camp.
Salah al Saadi, coach of the national team under-18 for men, indicated that preparations for this camp began a long time ago, with the formation of a technical committee to evaluate the performance of the players and select the best. He added that the camp witnessed great interaction from the players who expressed their keenness to present their best to convince the technical committee to nominate them to join the national team.
The men’s training in the camp is supervised by Siegfried Eikman, the national team coach, along with the head coach of the U-18 men’s team, Salah bin Nasser al Saadi. The technical staff also includes match analyst Wajdi Hassan Sanjour, goalkeeping coach Muzaffar Abbas, therapist Adeel Akhtar, and team manager Mohammed al Gharabi. The women’s training in the camp is supervised by coach Mohammed Sharif, head coach of the U-18 women’s team Mohammed Bait Jandal, goalkeeping coach Tamadhar al Balushi, and therapist Dr Yasmine al Sayed.
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