MUSCAT, JAN 6
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth conducted the draw ceremony for its 2025 Eights Football Championship for Government Institutions. The event took place at the main hall of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher under the auspices of Sayyid Idris al Busaidy, Director-General of Administrative and Financial Affairs. The championship will commence on January 19 and run until February 12.
Eight Groups
The draw placed the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources; the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation; the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs; and Muscat Municipality in Group 1.
Group 2 includes the Secretariat-General of the Supreme Judicial Council, the Ministry of Interior, the National Centre for Statistics and Information, and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion.
Group 3 features the Environment Authority, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, and the Royal Court Affairs.
Group 4 comprises the Majlis Ash'shura, the Central Bank of Oman, the National Records and Archives Authority, and the Ministry of Economy.
Group 5 includes the Ministry of Finance, the Civil Aviation Authority, the Consumer Protection Authority, and the Ministry of Energy and Minerals.
Group 6 comprises the Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Authority for Public Services Regulation, the State Audit Institution, and the Ministry of Labour.
Group 7 features the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, the Royal Academy of Management, the Royal Court Affairs, and the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs.
Finally, Group 8 includes the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, the Secretariat-General of the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Information, and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.
Tournament Format
The draw ceremony included a detailed explanation of the tournament format. Hilal al Badi, a representative of the OFA, explained that the teams in each group would compete in a single-round league system. The top two teams from each group will advance to the second round, which will follow a knockout format leading to the final match. Winning teams will earn three points, while a draw will grant one point, and losing teams will receive no points.
In the event of a tie in the knockout stages, matches will proceed directly to penalty shootouts, with each team taking five alternating penalties. If the tie persists, sudden-death penalties will decide the winner. For group stage ties, criteria such as head-to-head results, points in common matches, goal difference, goals scored, and overall tournament goal difference will be applied. If necessary, a draw will be conducted.
Organisational Details
Tournament Director Ibrahim al Shibli noted that this is the first edition of the championship, exclusively dedicated to government sectors. He highlighted that the 32 participating teams represent a variety of ministries, authorities and government bodies, and the draw resulted in eight groups with four teams each. The tournament will kick off on January 19 at Al Amal Club grounds.
Al Shibli emphasised that the championship aims to foster camaraderie and networking among state administrative staff, provide participants with an opportunity for recreation and enhance mutual understanding among government institutions. This is particularly important following recent structural reforms in government organisations. The initiative responds to a longstanding demand from these institutions and represents a unique identity for the government sector.
The championship enjoys support from key partners, including the Oman Football Association, which will provide referees and oversee technical aspects, and the Royal Oman Police, responsible for security. Al Shibli also revealed that approximately eight matches would be held daily from Sunday to Wednesday, involving 16 teams per day. Matches will take place from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm, with two separate fields, Field A and Field B, allocated for group competitions.
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