Saturday 20 / April / 2024
Muscat: At an age when majority of children are busy trying out the latest play station or spending time in other hobbies, a Muscat-based teenager has come up with a unique initiative to raise funds for a leading charity organisation in the Sultanate of Oman – Association of Early Intervention For Children with Disability.
A champion golfer, who tasted success at an early age of nine and who is currently one of the most promising Oman national team players, Ayman Al Busaidi, has devoted the past few months on an initiative that has received widespread applause.
Come this Thursday, Ayman will play non-stop 54 holes over three golf courses in a day with the 16-year-old teeing off at the Al Mouj Golf.
After completing 18 holes at the Greg Norman-designed course, he will then travel to the Ghala Golf Club to play the next 18 before rounding off his charity campaign lasting nearly 12 hours at the flood-lit Ras al Hamra Golf Club.
The teenager, who is a student of ABA Oman International School, has received strong backing from the Oman Golf Association and support from leading corporates – Omantel and Kempinski Hotel Muscat - and Azzan Bin Qais International School. All the proceeds of this unique charity drive will go to the Association of Early Intervention For Children with Disability.
Speaking to Times of Oman, ahead of the event, Ayman, who has been a member of the national age-group and senior team for the past seven years, said: “I am studying in ABA and am a Grade XI student. As part of the IB curriculum, we have to do activities that are creative, action, and that serve the community. This encourages students to volunteer at charitable organisations to give back to the community and as part of the volunteering activities I started going to the Association of Early Intervention For Children with Disability.
“I was moved by the students there and when I got to know that they are moving to a new campus and funds are needed for a playground tailor-made for the students there, I decided to do something that was unique and I am good at.”
A GCC champion in the U13 category and a member of Oman squad that won the GCC U13 and U15 titles, Ayman’s passion for golf drove him to plan out a charity that would link him up to a game that he enjoys the most and also help raise funds.
The youngest player to be drafted in the national senior team in 2022, Ayman’s aim is not only to raise funds but also create awareness about children with disability.
“When I started volunteering at the Association of Early Intervention For Children with Disability, I became close to one of the students, who liked sports. The Early Intervention programme identifies and treats developmental problems, providing services to prevent or minimise the impact of risk factors on a child’s disability and well-being. The rehabilitation that the programme provides ensures that these children have a better quality of life and can integrate into society. It also provides essential support to the families.”
Having won silver medals at the GCC U18 Gold Championship and Arab U18 tournament, Ayman’s decision to devise a golf-centric charity was a natural course and the teenager thanked his teachers at the ABA for their strong support and shaping him into a competitive golfer and a caring student.
Ayman said: “I plan to raise funds around OMR10,000 and am happy that individuals, companies and organisations are coming forward to back me in this campaign. On the 5th of January, I will challenge myself to play 18 holes on three different golf courses: Al Mouj, Ghala and Ras Al Hamra golf clubs. Playing 54 holes in one day will take around 12 hours to complete. The aim of this challenge is to raise awareness and money towards children’s new playground at the Association of Early Intervention For Children with Disability campus. The playground will be an important asset towards children’s physical and mental development such as walking, running, balance, as well as increasing attention and self-confidence.”
The golfer has already made a mark at junior level, having also qualified as the only Omani to finish among top-75 in the R&A Junior Open 2022 at Monifieth Golf Club in Scotland.
And when he was selected for the national senior team to play in the 40th Pan Arab Golf Championships in Egypt, Ayman made another record- youngest player to play in the senior team at the age of 15.
Ayman hopes that his efforts will raise the money needed for the playground and also hopes that he keeps on playing the game at the university level for the next few years.
Commenting on his son’s charity drive, Ghalib al Busaidi said: “I am proud of him and this initiative will go a long way in helping the Association of Early Intervention For Children with Disability, which has been doing a great job under its CEO, Sabah Bint Mohammed Al Bahlani. I hope corporate sector and individuals join this one-day event to support the noble cause.”
