Pravasi samwad.com
The competition took place at Messilah Beach and featured some of the very best young sailors from across the region as part of a 33-strong fleet representing eight countries.
Muscat – Oman Sail’s youth sailing team has returned home from the Kuwait International Regatta with four medals, including gold and silver in the Optimist Junior category.
The competition took place at Messilah Beach and featured some of the very best young sailors from across the region as part of a 33-strong fleet representing eight countries.
Hood Al Noofli claimed gold in the Optimist Junior, open to sailors under 11 years of age, while Hasan Al Alawi took silver in his first regatta outside of Oman.
Tamim Al Balushi also won silver in the Optimist Overall competition after a hard-fought contest with Idriss Dardouri of Tunisia.
The pair traded first place finishes over the first six races, each winning three, but Tamim narrowly missed out on gold by just four points after what was a very strong performance by both sailors.
The team, coached by Sultan Al Zadjali, National Team Coach, also featured siblings Yousuf Ahmed Al Motawa and Sultan Ahmed Al Motawa and Jibreel Al Harthi.
Commenting on the progress of his team, Sultan Al Zadjali said, “Our team is very young, and the sailors are all at different stages of their development. To be able to perform so well and win medals at this level is a huge achievement and proves that the hours of hard work has paid off.
“Conditions were difficult – it was very cold with strong winds between 15 and 25 knots – but our team coped very well and showed their resilience. We will continue to improve and prepare the team for future regattas where they will have more chances to learn, improve and represent Oman on the water,” he added.
In addition to competing, two Oman Sail coaches were invited by the organisers to be part of the Race Committee. Ahmed Al Qasmi and Ghalib Al Mamari gained valuable experience in adjudicating and running a regatta and will look to build on this in the coming months.
About Oman Sail:
Operating under Oman Tourism Development Company, Oman Sail is tasked with rekindling the country’s maritime eminence, promote the Sultanate around the world through sailing, contribute to the sustainable prosperity of the nation and provide long-term learning opportunities for the youth.
Since 2008, Oman Sail has built a solid foundation around Sailing, Tourism, Commerce, Health and Environment, all underpinned with competency-based development for its workforce.
Committed to offering both men and women equal opportunities to learn, Oman Sail’s programmes focus on nurturing young talent to develop the sailing champions of tomorrow, increasing revenue in the tourism, activity and experiential learning markets and gaining prominent international exposure for the country.
The company has a strong track record in delivering a portfolio of events across the Sultanate to showcase Oman’s natural beauty, tourism potential, the people’s hospitality, and the infrastructure readiness for business opportunities. More information can be found on www.omansail.com
More information can be found on our website: www.omansail.com
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