MUSCAT: Oman on Thursday marked the World Wildlife Day with beach cleaning joined by Lord Sebastian Coe and other volunteers at Al-Hail Beach.
About 50 volunteers joined hands to clean up Muscat’s most popular stretch beach and Lord Sebastian Coe, known simply as Seb Coe, led the way.
“I am delighted to be part of beach cleaning day here in Muscat. It is something which is closed to my heart. I am also grateful to Oman for hosting the World Athletics Race Walking Team Champions for this year. We did not do it in the last four years because of the pandemic but now we are back,” Seb Coe, told the National.
Image: Lord Sebastian Coe cleaning up
Seb Coe, who is in Oman in his capacity as President of World Athletics, to inaugurate the 2022 World Athletics Race Walking Team Champions, which is hosted by Oman.
The two-day 35-km walking race will start this Friday in Muscat at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center.
The $52,500 prize money for the race walking event has attracted over 350 competitors from different countries.
Seb Coe’s illustrious career earned him four Olympic gold medals as a middle distance runner in 1980 and 1984.
Shaikh Salim Al-Amri, President of Oman Athletics Association, said the event will serve as a great launching pad for the Sultanate.
“The race walking event is a good opportunity for the country as a host to deliver events and create a track record as international organiser. Oman is ready for it and the eyes of the world will be in Muscat when the competition starts tomorrow. We hope to achieve economic and tourism benefits and also hope the event will open the door to hosting other sporting events in the future,” Shaikh Salim said in a press release.
He added that the event will be broadcasted by over 50 television stations around the world.
The Beach Cleaning and the 2022 World Athletics Race Walking Team Champions were organised by Omran’s subsidiaries of Oman Sail and Oman Convention and Exhibition Center.