Thursday 18 / April / 2024
Muscat: The Oman national golf team left for Bahrain on Saturday to compete in the 21st GCC Golf Championship.
The event will be played over four days from February 20 to 23 at the Royal Bahrain Golf Club and see the first national team selected since the introduction of the new selection criteria.
The team was accompanied by the Oman Golf Committee (OGC) vice-chairman Ahmed Al Jhdhamy.
Ahmed Al Jhdhamy said: “We are in the process of restructuring the national team and our selection process in order to ensure it is transparent and that every Omani has the opportunity to qualify. This will also be the first event since appointing our new national team manager, providing him with a fantastic opportunity to evaluate the players in a championship environment.”
The competitions will probably see Bahrain start as favourites playing in their home country. However, with Qatar winning the championship last year and Saudi Arabia winning the Arab Golf Championships, it promises to be a closely contested event.
Steven Troup, the Oman National Team Manager commented: “The potential in Oman is incredible and the work OGC has put into developing junior golf holds the future in good stead. We have a very experienced team going to Bahrain, with each member having earned their place over the course of a month-long qualifying session. I am happy with the progress we are making and look forward to seeing the team in action.”
The OGC’s mission, with the support of the Ministry of Sporting Affairs and their corporate partners Oman LNG, National Bank of Oman, and Omantel, is to raise awareness and participation levels for golf in Oman to give golfers of all ages the opportunity to play the sport.
The committee aims to create an environment that allows beginners to learn and serious golfers to strive for the top. OGC is working to raise the standard of golf in Oman and produce a national team capable of competing in international events like the Olympic Games and the World Cup of Golf.
