MUSCAT: The Oman Padel Men’s and Women’s teams will take part in the third edition of the Arabian Gulf Cup in Padel, which begins on Wednesday and runs until Sunday in Kuwait. The Oman Women’s team will work hard to defend their title from the first and second editions, while the Men’s team will aim for a strong performance and a positive result.
The Oman Padel Committee (OPC) unveiled details of this participation at a press meet on Sunday at the headquarters of the Oman Olympic Committee. The OPC also announced new sponsors, including SATA LLC (Porsche Oman) and Omantel.
Fatma al Nabhani, Oman national Padel team player and OPC board member, announced the players who will represent the national teams. The Men’s team includes Dr Khalid al Nabhani, Younis al Rawahi, Munir al Rawahi, Abdullah al Barwani, Zakaria al Suleimani, Nabil al Shibani, Abdullah al Ghassani and Sami Habib. The Women’s team comprises Fatma al Nabhani, Sara al Balushi, Maryam al Balushi, Aisha al Suleimani, Ruaa al Swedi, Ithar al Balushi, Lina al Zadjali and Noof Dawood.
Fatma affirmed the importance of the tournament, stating: "This event is an opportunity to strengthen Oman’s presence in the Gulf, reflecting our commitment to developing the sport and supporting our athletes to achieve the best possible results."
“This is the first official participation of the Men’s team in the Gulf Padel Cup, presenting a new challenge and a unique opportunity to gain experience and compete at high levels. We have worked hard over the past period to properly prepare the Men’s team, and we are confident in their ability to deliver an honourable performance that showcases the sportsmanship and advanced skills of our players,” she added.
Dr Khalid, captain of the Men’s national team, said: "The Oman Padel team is fully prepared for the Gulf Padel Cup. We have worked intensively over the past period to ensure the best performance in this important tournament, especially since it is the first time the Men’s team is participating. We aim to achieve further success with the Women’s team, who have delivered outstanding results in previous editions."
"One of the key factors that helped raise our readiness was the recent local tournaments, especially the Al Barwani Padel Cup, which provided an excellent opportunity to compete at high levels. This helped refine the players’ skills and improve team cohesion. It also allowed us to identify strengths and weaknesses in our performance, which has helped us make adjustments in our technical and tactical training. Furthermore, the coaching staff selected many players from this event," he added.
The five-day event will follow a group-stage format, with teams competing in the first round within groups. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the final phase.
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