MUSCAT: As the curtains come down on the 19th Asian Games in the Chinese city of Hangzhou on Sunday, Oman sporting fraternity can rejoice on their athletes’ performances with the Sultanate recording their best ever medals haul in the Asian Games history.
The two medals that Oman won included a silver for the first time and a bronze. The sailing duo of Musab Al Hadi and Waleed Al Kindi brought home the shining silver medals as they finished second in the highly-competitive men’s skiff 49er event while Husain Al Farsi claimed the first medal for Oman in the 800m track discipline.
Oman had sent a delegation of 44 athletes to compete in seven disciplines and on Friday, the national hockey squad concluded their campaign with a seventh-place finish.
In the classification match for the seventh place, Oman got the better of Bangladesh 4-3 to match their best finish in the Asian Games since making their debut at the 1982 Asiad in New Delhi.
It was a spirited comeback by Siegfried Aikman’s team who tasted their biggest defeat at the Games on October 2 when eventual bronze medallists South Korea drubbed Oman 16-2 in the concluding Pool B game.
The fighting spirit was evident as Oman clawed their way back from 0-2 down at interval to win the seven-goal thriller.
Rashad Al Fazari reduced the margin with a penalty corner in the 38th minutes and Fahad Al Lawati drew parity in the 43 minute to set the stage for an enthralling final quarter.
Aiman Madit’s brilliant brace in a space of two minutes (53’ and 55’) put Oman 4-2 ahead before a goal in the final seconds by Bangladesh almost forced a shootout but a strong Oman withstood the late charge to emerge as deserving winners.
Over the eight participations at the Asian Games since 1982, Oman have finished seventh on five occasions, their best result.
Sailors’ silver, a first
Oman had never won a silver at the Asiad. Ahead of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, Oman’s overall medals haul was four, which included a gold at the Beijing Asian Games by Mohammed Amur Al Malki in the 400m. Al Malki had opened the Sultanate’s medal account at the Asian Games in the 1986 Seoul Asian Games with a bronze in the 400m.
In 1999 at the Jakarta Games, the athletes once again got a medal when the 4x100 relay quartet bagged a bronze. Ace sprinter Barakat Al Harthi then got another bronze at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou and 13 years later, Oman won their first silver with Al Hadi and Al Kindi clinching at Hangzhou.
The pair also were the first sportspersons other than track athletes to get a medal and also won the first silver for the country.
And the icing on the cake was delivered for Oman when 20-year-old Husain Al Farsi clinched a bronze in the 800m event to keep the tradition of track athletes’ contribution towards the medal haul.
Besides, athletics and sailing, Oman athletes also took part in swimming, shooting, weightlifting, hockey, and beach volleyball.
While the two teams of beach volleyball did reach the round of 16, there was disappointment in the other sports with hardly any notable performances.
Commenting on Oman’s best ever medals haul at the Asian Games, Taha Al Kishry, Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) secretary general told Times of Oman, “Hangzhou Asian Games have been the best ever for Oman and OOC feels proud on the accomplishments. The silver by the sailors Musab and Waleed, and Al Farsi’s bronze in 800m reflects the dedication, talent, and unwavering commitment of our athletes. The athletes have brought glory to our nation and it also showcases the potential of Omani sportsmen at the continental level.
“At the OOC, we remain committed to nurturing and supporting our athletes as they strive for excellence in their respective fields.”
Al Kishry admitted that they expected better results from other athletes and will definitely analyse what went wrong with the performances of others.
Al Kishry added: “However, we are happy on the maiden silver medal and the first medal in 800m by our athletes and it also underlines the steady progress OOC has made under its chairman Khalid Al Zubair with the strong support and guidance from His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, and the ministry.
Oman Sail’s CEO Dr Khamis Al Jabri said, “Our sailors, Musab Al Hadi and Waleed Al Kindi, have etched their names in Oman’s sports history with their extraordinary achievement of bringing the first silver medal for the country.
“This is a significant milestone in our sporting journey but it will also inspire future generations of Omani sailors. We are immensely proud of their dedication, team work, and resilience.”
“As we celebrate this historic medal win, we look forward to even greater accomplishments on the global sporting stage”.
