Tuesday 22 / October / 2024
Muscat: The Sultanate’s delegation will leave for Brazil early on Wednesday to participate in the Rio Olympic Games.
Oman will be taking part in the quadrennial sporting extravaganza for the ninth time in the history of the Summer Olympics.
The Omani deelgation will be led by Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Zubair, chairman of Oman Olympic Committee (OOC).
The official delegation includes OOC Secretary General Tahal Al Kishry, Kadhim bin Mohammed Al Balushi (director of the mission), Fahad bin Salim Al Zuhaimi (media attaché) and Dr. Mohammed Mahmood Shehabullah (physician).
At the August 5-21 Games, ace sprinter Barakat Al Harthy will spearhead Oman’s challenged.
Barakat, the only Omani athlete to achieve the qualifying mark for the Rio Games which he did in the 2015 World Military Games in South Korea, is among the four athletes who will be representing the country at the Olymics. The other three received wild card entries.
While Asian Games 100m bronze medallist Barakat will be hoping to do his best in the 100m race, fellow athlete Mazoon Al Alawi will be making her debut at the Olympics in the women’s sprint event.
The other two Omani athletes who will competing in Rio are marksman Hamad Al Khatri and woman shooter Wadha Al Balushi.
Oman’s made their Olympic debut 1984 Los Angeles Games with the participation of 16 athletes. Oman went to 1988 Seoul Games with 13 athletes, while only five athletes participated in 1992 Barcelona Games.
Other representations were 1996 Atlanta (4 athletes), 2000 Sydney (6), 2004 Athens (2), 2008 Beijing (4) and 2012 London (4).
