Sunday 15 / September / 2024
Hockey Oman held a press conference to unveil the details of the Hockey Oman - Open Tournament 2024 at the Oman Olympic Committee and Sports Associations building. The event was attended by Dr. Marwan bin Jumaa Al Jumaa, Chairman of Hockey Oman; Faisal bin Habib Al Balushi, Technical Director of the Championship; representatives from the participating teams; and a group of journalists and local media. During the press conference, the tournament draw was conducted, and the start date for the competitions was announced. The tournament will take place from September 8 to 11, featuring eight teams from the military sector, agencies, and companies, including the Royal Army of Oman, the Royal Guard of Oman, the Royal Navy of Oman, Al Fayhaa, Security and Safety, Jindal Shadeed Company, Badr Al Samaa Group, and FAP LLC.
Dr. Marwan bin Jumaa Al Jumaa, Chairman of Hockey Oman, stated during the press conference: "Through the launch of the Hockey Oman - Open Tournament 2024, we aim to further expand the reach of Hockey 5s in the Sultanate of Oman. This championship has garnered participation from various military and private sector entities. The tournament continues the programs and activities that Hockey Oman has dedicated to Hockey 5s. Last year, the association organized the Oman International Women’s Hockey 5s Championship, featuring teams from India, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. The Hockey 5s format has become increasingly popular among hockey players at both club and national team levels. Our national Hockey 5s team secured third place in the World Cup for Hockey 5s, hosted by Oman in January 2024 at the Hockey Oman Stadium in Al Amerat. Additionally, our national team achieved second place in the world rankings by the International Hockey Federation. The organizing committee for the Hockey Oman - Open Tournament 2024 has established conditions and rules that align with international standards while being tailored to the nature and capabilities of the participating teams. We anticipate that the tournament will showcase a high level of competition and excitement, with some teams featuring national team players."
Faisal bin Habib Al Balushi, Technical Director of the tournament, elaborated on the tournament’s format: In the preliminary rounds, the participating teams will be divided into two groups through an open draw, and each team will compete against the others in their group in a round-robin format. In the final rounds, the fourth-placed team from the first group will face the fourth-placed team from the second group to determine the seventh and eighth positions, while the third-placed teams from both groups will compete for the fifth and sixth positions. In the semi-finals, the first-placed team from Group A will compete against the second-placed team from Group B, and the first-placed team from Group B will face the second-placed team from Group A. The losers of the semi-final matches will compete for third and fourth place, while the winners will advance to the final to determine the champions. All matches will be held at the Hockey Oman Stadium in Al Amerat.
