100 teams likely to take part in Seeb beach games carnival in Oman

Muscat: One hundred teams from across Oman are expected to participate in the First Beach Games Carnival, to be held from 17 to 26 February at Sur Al Hadid by Seeb Beach.

“We have six tournaments taking place at the carnival: Football, volleyball, basketball for persons with special needs, hockey and skiing, besides other ancillary sports classified on the basis of age group,” said Islam Ahmed, an investor at Al Rahi Investment Co., the organisers of the events, in partnership with the Ministry of Education.

“The carnival will see the participation of a number of teams from the Ministry of Education, represented by a number of schools and teams,” he added. “The carnival will also see the participation of teams from private sector organisations.”

Ahmed said: “So far, we have received confirmation from 20 teams representing different schools and 16 teams representing the private sector. The number of participating teams is expected to reach over 100.”

During the carnival, prizes worth over OMR10,000 will be given away, while video games and other forms of entertainment will also be on offer. All the precautions stipulated by the Supreme Committee will also be in effect.

Owing to the support of Dr Marwan Al Jumah from the Oman Hockey Association, there will also be activities involving hockey and skiing. “Compared to previous events of this nature, we expect to see more games organised and more participants across different age groups at the carnival,” said Ahmed.

Adding to this, Amna Nasser, partner at Al Rahi Investment Co., said: “We expect to see tough competition among the participating teams as they pursue victory and bag valuable prizes, cups and medals in various tournaments. The festival will also include entertainment activities such as theatrical plays, competitions for visitors, traditional games and entertainment options for children.”

Dr. Abdullah bin Khamis bin Ali Ambusaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education, said, “The Ministry of Education has accorded due care and attention to such carnivals on account of the significance they represent. Such festivals, apart from their economic, social and sports advantages, help achieve a true partnership between the government and private sector under the Royal Directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik and His Majesty’s wise government.

“We are open to such partnerships and have several agreements in various fields, including education, information technology and welfare of students and employees,” he added. “Our participation in this festival is to be impactful, and the ministry will have a strong presence through our employees, and school students.

“We hope that the ministry’s participation can contribute to the development of the upcoming editions of the carnival,” he added. “Such festivals are important in terms of promoting both sports and healthy lifestyle.

“Sadly, we have seen health issues such as obesity and diabetes among our youth, who sometimes adopt unhealthy lifestyle practices. Festivals like this help spread awareness about healthy living, so I hope that in future, such carnivals are present across all governorates of the Sultanate.”

Ambusaidi added: “The Ministry of Education and the education sector accommodate over 60,000 employees and over 700, 000 students. When a private sector company targets the participation of this sector, such efforts will motivate us to partner with other companies, and share with them the successes that follow.”

Among the many sponsors contributing to the event is Muscat Media Group, the parent company of Times of Oman and Al Shabiba newspapers.