Tuesday 11 / February / 2025
Muscat – Oman Sail’s Olympic 49er squad has arrived in Chon Buri, Thailand, to prepare for the Asian Sailing Championships where they will be aiming to secure Olympic qualification for Oman at Paris 2024. The pairs of Musab Al Hadi and Waleed Al Kindi, and Abdul Rahman Al Mashari and Ahmed Al Hassani have been training in Thailand for a month under the supervision of Team Leader Hashim Al Rashdi to acclimatise and run through technical and tactical aspects of the race.
The Asian Sailing Championships also serve as the Asian Continental Olympic Qualifier for the Paris 2024 Games and brings together sailors from across Asia for the chance to claim a place for their nation. Racing begins at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club in Pattaya, Chon Buri, on 13 December with 12 races scheduled across five days followed by one medal race for the top 10 sailors in the 49er event.
Hashim Al Rashdi, Oman Sail’s Head Coach Performance and Team Leader, said, “Qualification for the Olympic Games has been Oman Sail’s long-term goal since our inception, and we are now very close to achieving this milestone. We are aiming for gold in the Asian Sailing Championships and will start the first race with confidence that the meticulous preparation can see the team perform to the best of their abilities.”
Musab Al Hadi added, “We are all aware of how important this would be for our nation, for our coaches, for Oman Sail and for our families. Our training camps have focused on how the boats perform in these conditions and have given us extra insight ahead of racing. All four of the team are excellent sailors with a lot of experience in the 49er, and when the races begin, we will all be aiming to use everything we have learned to confirm our place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”
In total, 18 nations will compete at the Asian Sailing Championships across ILCA 6, ILCA 7, 49er, 49erFX, 470 and Nacra 17 classes, as well as sailors from four non-Asian nations. The event carries five Olympic places, including one in the 49er event.
The Asian Sailing Championships and Asian Continental Qualifier have been organised by the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand under the supervision of World Sailing, the Asian Sailing Federation and the Sports Authority of Thailand. More information and full results from the event can be found on the official event website https://www.pattaya-olympic-qualifier.com.
