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Stage set for Oman Sports Conference and Exhibition The fourth edition of the conference, where as many as five Omani stars including Ali Al Habsi will be under focus, is scheduled to be inaugurated by Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi
Sports Reporter MUSCAT: The Ministry of Sports Affairs is all set to host the annual Oman Sports Conference and Exhibition, an event that brings together most of the stakeholders of the Sultanate’s sports, starting with the daylong conference at Grand Hyatt on Monday. The fourth edition of the conference, where as many as five Omani stars including football legend Ali Al Habsi will be under focus, is scheduled to be inaugurated by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud Al Busaidi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the presence of the Minister of Sports Affairs Sheikh Saad
ALL SET: Fahd Al Raisi, Director General of Sports Development and Welfare at the Ministry of Sports Affairs, had earlier revealed the details the Oman Sports Conference and Exhibition.
bin Mohammed Al Mardhouf Al Saadi, at 9am. Oman Air and Oman LNG Development Foundation are the main sponsors of the event. The 2016 event includes the second edition of exhibition, which will be organised at the Oman International Exhibition Centre from Tuesday to Thursday. Fahd Al Raisi, Director General of Sports Development and Welfare at the Ministry of Sports Affairs, had earlier revealed that goalkeeping hero Ali Al Habsi and
four other Omani stars will be under focus as international experts present their views and share their experiences at the conference. The list of Omani stars who will be under the focus includes football star Imad Al Hosni, popular motor racer Ahmad Al Harthy, tennis sensation Fatma Al Nabhani and star athlete Barakat Al Harthi. The conference will comprise four sessions. The key speakers during the first session — titled ‘Sports Management’ — include Khalid Al
Hachani, Advisor for Sports Planning at the Ministry of Sports Affairs, Professor Emmanuel Bayle from Institute of Sports Science at Lausanne University, and Dr Atef Abdullah Al Ruwaidan, Director of Jordan’s Al Hussain Youth City. Jirayr Habibian, Sports Lawyer and CAS Arbitrator, Professor Waldimir Andreff of University of Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne, Joaquin Martinez of University of Barcelona and Abduallah Taman Al Maashani, Chairman of Board of Directors of Bank Muscat, will be
presenting their papers in the second session on ‘Sports Funding’. During the third session — ‘Display of Successful Youth in Sports’, where the focus will be on five Omani stars, Humaid Al Balushi, producer and presenter of Al Kas Qatar Sports, will be the session director. The fourth session, titled ‘The importance of youth sector as a foundation for sports system’, will see Humaid Al Balushi as well as Qatar Aspire Academy’s Director General Ivan Bravo, Tim March, Regional FutbolNet manager at Fundacio FC Barcelona, and Oman Sail’s CEO David Graham delivering their lectures. At the exhibition, which will be inaugurated by Minister of Sports Affairs Sheikh Saad Al Saadi at the Oman International Exhibition Centre, there will be a total of 35 exhibits, including those from the sports associations, committees and clubs who will be presenting their ideas and activities. There will also be 30 sports companies and private sector organisations who will be presenting their concepts and promoting their products. The prominent clubs who will be putting up stalls at the exhibition are Al Shabab, Sur, Sohar, Saham, Ibri, Oman, Seeb and Salam. This time there will also be two cricket stalls — one by governing body Oman Cricket and Al Hail Cricket Team. Oman Women’s Sports Committee, Oman Photography Society, Royal Omani Amateur Radio Society and Omani Society of Fine Arts will also be among the exhibitors.
TENT PEGGING
Oman team win bronze at ITPF World Cup in Cairo MUSCAT: Oman team settled for a bronze in the team event behind India and Egypt at the ITPF Tent Pegging World Cup in Cairo on Sunday. According to information received here, Oman squad, comprising Hilal Al Balushi, Safwan Al Mamamri, Hamad Al Riyami and Ali Al Balushi won the bronze medal with 98 points. Indian team took the gold with 103 points while hosts Egypt won the silver with 102 points. In the lance pair event, South
Africa (23.5 points, 6.72 seconds) won the gold followed by Australia (23.5 points, 7.07 seconds) and Sudan (22 points, 5.59 seconds) in that order. In the over all standings Egypt finished on top with 560 points. South Africa (559.5) and Iraq (506.5) finished in second and third places respectively. They were followed by Oman (503), Sudan (488.5), India (486.5), Yemen (485), Jordan (459), Australia (423), UAE (403) and Great Britain (331) in that order.
INSIDE LIFESTYLE
FOOTBALL
Al Khabourah, Saham in HM’s Cup title showdown
MUSCAT: Al Khabourah and Saham overcame Salalah and Al Nasr respectively to set up a final showdown in this year’s His Majesty’s Cup Football Championship on Sunday. In their second match of the double leg semifinal, played at Sohar Sports Complex, Al Khabourah edged Salalah 1-0 to book their place in the final. The teams played out a goalless draw in the first leg match played on April 6. Saham and Al Nasr too entered their second leg match at Salalah Sports Complex on Sunday after sharing points after their first leg match. Saham, however, managed to edge the four-time champions Al Nasr in their own for a 1-0 victory. The date of the final is yet to be announced by the Oman Football Association. TENNIS
Nadal sees off Monfils MONTE CARLO: Rafa Nadal ended his four-year wait for a ninth Monte Carlo Masters title by defeating Gael Monfils 7-5, 5-7, 6-0 on Sunday in his 100th career final. Nadal won eight consecutive titles before losing the 2013 final to Novak Djokovic and, after struggling for fitness in recent years, he demonstrated his return to form by overwhelming the home favourite in the third set to win his 28th Masters title. “Monte Carlo has been one of the most special places in my career,” Nadal said. “It was a pleasure to play here again.” - Reuters