Muscat: The national golf squad made the Sultanate proud when they claimed a silver in the team event in Abu Dhabi of the first GCC Youth Games on Sunday.
Besides the golfers’ silver lining, there were two more medals won by Omanis, both bronze. The first bronze was won by Mishal Al Kulaibi in swimming and the other was clinched by the billiards team.
Following Sunday’s medal hunt, Oman kitty has swollen to 49, including six medals won by the para athletes.
Among the 43 medals won in the general category, Oman have won 14 gold, 10 silver, and 19 bronze medals so far in the 15 disciplines they are participating in.
The national golfers maintained their second spot over the three days of action. Five teams took part in the competition and Oman finished behind winners UAE and ahead of Saudi Arabia.
The national golf squad comprised Adam Al Barwani, Mahir Sampat, Pransh Jagwani and Mohib Al Kathiri.
Ahmed Al Jhdhamy, Oman Golf Association general secretary was delighted with the performance. He said: “Our players performed well and managed to win silver. It is a moment of pride and we can say that we have a bright future.”
Jhdhamy added: “We thank Oman Olympic Committee for their efforts and also express our appreciation for the excellent arrangements made by the UAE organising committee.”
The national billiards team finished third in the nine-ball doubles event on Sunday in Dubai. The team consisted of Omar Al Hamidi and Al Zubair Al Balushi, and were coached by Mohammed Bin Mohammed. Omani swimmer Mishal Salim won bronze in 100m butterfly, while Qatar’s Mohamed Aziz won the gold.
Elsewhere, the national fencing team arrived in the UAE on Sunday, to take part in the competition, beginning on Monday at the Zayed Sports Complex in Fujairah.
The fencing team is led by coaches Hisham Karshoud and Haitham Balsaud. The players are Israa Al Siyabi, Ahmed Kaskas, Saeed Al Shuaibi, Ali Al Busaidi, Ammar Al Azizi, Jana Al Sharji, Salma Al Dughaishi, and Ghazal Al Falita.