Muscat: Sixteen of Oman Sail’s best young prospects will compete against sailors from across the region at the 11th GCC Sailing Championship which is taking place from 22-26 March 2022 at Messilah Beach in Kuwait. The Omani squad includes sailors under the age of 17 in the Optimist, ILCA 4, ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 classes, all of whom earned their place in the team by finishing in top positions a recent rankings race event held in Mussanah.

The Omani team comprises: Tameem Suleiman Al Balushi (Optimist), Abdul Latif Zeyad Al Qasmi (Optimist), Hassen Nasser Al Wahaibi (Optimist), Feras Haitham Al Nabhani (Optimist), Alaa Hassan Al Hinae (Optimist), Hood Saad Al Nofali (Optimist), AbdulRahman Khalid Al Hadi (Optimist), Aous Maher Al Busaidi (Optimist), Elyas Bader Al Fadhly (ILCA 4), Nebras Ahmed Al Owaisi (ILCA 4), Al Salim Ali Al Hamdani (ILCA 4), Ahmed Hassan Al Bulushi (ILCA 6), Zakariya Suleiman Al Wahabi (ILCA 6), Musaab Mohaed Al Hadi (ILCA 7), Abdulmalik Gharib Al Hinae (ILCA 7) and Al Moutasem Hamood Al Farsi (ILCA 7).

The sailors will be joined by Nawaf Yaqood Al Ghadani (Team leader), Sultan AbdulAziz Al Zadjali (Optimist Coach), Muthir Issa Al Kindi (ILCA 4 Coach) and Hashim Hamed Al Hashmi (ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 Coach).

Nawaf Yaqoob Al Ghadani, Oman’s Team Leader, said, “This is a great opportunity for our rising stars to test themselves against the best young sailors in the region. It allows each sailor a chance to gain experience of high level competition, how to handle the pressure and put into practice the technique we have been working on in training. We have a strong squad and we’re looking forward to the Championships in Kuwait.”

Sultan AbdulAziz Al Zadjali, Optimist Coach, said, “The GCC Sailing Championship is an important step in the journey toward becoming an elite sailor. Everyone representing Oman has earned their place by excelling in ranking races and we are hopeful of a good showing during the week. Each day is a new opportunity to improve, learn from the day before and help the sailors to reach their potential while enjoying the feeling of competition.”

Abdulmalik Gharib Al Hinai, member of the ILCA 7 fleet heading to the event, said, “I am looking forward to the opportunity in Kuwait. We have all trained very well in the build up to the event and feel well prepared. The GCC Sailing Championships present a good chance to see how we compare to sailors our own age across the region, learn from each other, make friends and take the next step in our development as sailors.”

Over the four days, sailors from Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, along with the team from Oman Sail, will battle for position in races taking place each day before the fleet splits for the final day when the medals will be decided. In total, 12 races are scheduled for each class, except the Optimist class where a maximum of nine will be held. An overall prize will be awarded for the most successful nation at the Championships.