Tuesday 04 / March / 2025
Muscat: As part of its ongoing efforts to develop Omani football and nurture a new generation of talented players, the Oman Football Association (OFA), in a strategic partnership with Jindal Shadeed Iron & Steel, has inaugurated the first Jindal-OFA Talent Centre in Sohar. Jindal Shadeed has supported the project as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives and will open a total of 10 Talent Centres across Oman.
This inauguration marks a key milestone in the OFA’s strategy to establish an integrated system for identifying and developing football talents. The Association, along with Jindal Shadeed, aims to create a network of Talent Centres across various governorates in the Sultanate, ensuring a modern training environment that provides young players with the opportunities to grow and progress according to professional standards.
Preparing a generation for the future
The Talent Centre is designed to prepare young players for local and international competitions, enhance their technical and physical abilities, and contribute to the future success of the Oman National Team. This initiative is a crucial step in the OFA’s vision to develop youth football, leveraging available sports resources to build a strong foundation of players capable of competing at the highest levels.
A vision for the future
In his speech at the inauguration, Mohammed bin Sulaiman bin Mohammed Al-Yahmadi, the Secretary-General of the Oman Football Association, emphasized the significance of this center in the journey of football development in Oman.
He stated: "We believe that investing in young talents is the key to sustainable success in Omani football. Through these centers, we aim to provide a modern training environment that will help shape a generation capable of competing regionally and internationally."
Support from the private sector
On behalf of Jindal Shadeed Iron & Steel, Harssha Shetty, the company’s CEO, expressed his pride in supporting this project, saying: "We are excited that Jindal-OFA Talent Centre is being inaugurated in Oman’s Steel City - Sohar. The Sohar Training Centre—the second among the ten centers being sponsored by Jindal Shadeed in association with OFA and under FIFA’s technical guidelines—will fuel the region's passion for football and lay a strong foundation for grassroots talent development. This state-of-the-art Centre reinforces our commitment to one of the key pillars of Oman Vision 2040 – Youth and Sports. The state-of-the-art facilities and pedagogy at the Centre will identify and nurture local talent, ensuring that our youth have every opportunity to shine and become the future of Oman football on the global stage. True change begins at home, and today, we are taking a decisive step toward that brighter future."
Centre facilities and training programmes
The Talent Centre in Sohar is equipped with state-of-the-art football pitches, modern training halls, and specialised training programmes overseen by certified local and international coaches. The centre offers tailored programmes for different age groups, focusing on the technical, physical, and psychological development of young players.
The centre officially began accepting young players last week, opening registration for aspiring footballers eager to join the training programmes and take advantage of the opportunities provided.
The Talent Centre project: A comprehensive vision for Omani football development
The inauguration of the Sohar Talent Centre is part of a broader initiative launched by the Oman Football Association to establish multiple talent centres across the Sultanate. The goal is to build a strong pipeline of skilled players and prepare them for professional football careers through structured and high-standard development programmes.
The project aims to achieve several key objectives, including:
Expanding football participation by providing equal training opportunities for young talents across various regions.
Enhancing the quality of coaching and training by recruiting qualified coaching staff and implementing modern training methodologies.
Strengthening the national teams by developing a strong talent pool capable of representing Oman in regional and international competitions.
Fostering partnerships with the private sector to ensure the sustainability of the initiative and leverage available resources for the advancement of Omani football.
The OFA, along with Jindal Shadeed is committed to expanding this project further by establishing additional Talent Centres in the future, increasing the opportunities for young players nationwide, and preparing them for professional careers at the highest levels.
Future plans
The event concluded with a tour of the Talent Centre’s facilities, where attendees expressed their admiration for the world-class infrastructure and advanced equipment designed to support emerging football talents.
The Oman Football Association reaffirmed its commitment to expanding this initiative by launching similar centres across different regions of the Sultanate.
This project represents a significant step toward realising Oman’s long-term football development vision, with hopes that the investment in young talents will translate into future success on the field in the years to come.
