Saturday 27 / April / 2024
MUSCAT: In recognition of their excellent contribution towards the development of hockey in the Sultanate of Oman, Dato Tayyab Ikram, CEO of Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) and member of Federation of International Hockey (FIH), in rare and unique gesture, presented mementos on behalf of the AHF to Eng. Dawood Al Raisi, SAS Naqvi, Mohammed Shambeh Al Raisi and Abdul Rahman Al Raisi.
Eng. Dawood Ahmed Al Raisi a former chairman of Oman Hockey Association and vice-president of Asian Hockey Federation, and a member of the Federation of International Hockey Umpiring Committee, represented Oman National Hockey team, as well as the Moscow University team in hockey. He was a student of Al Saidia School, Muscat, which is considered as the nursery of talented hockey players in Oman.
In 1982, Eng Dawood was deputed by Abdullah Hamed Al Ali, then director general of youth affairs to negotiate with the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) to appoint a hockey coaches, as Oman had decided to participate in the 1982 Asian Games at New Delhi.
Eng Dawood signed an agreement with the Late K. L Passi, then secretary of the IHF to deputise S. A. S. Naqvi as coach and Joe Antic as assistant coach for Oman National Hockey team, the rest is history.
Oman participated in 1982 Asian Games in hockey at New Delhi and awarded the Fair Play Trophy apart from being placed sixth out of 12 teams.
Oman was the first country from GCC to participate in Asian Games hockey. Eng Dawood Ahmed Al Raisi was the head of Oman delegation for the 1982 Asian Games. Eng Dawood is now fondly regarded as the father of hockey in the Sultanate of Oman. He represented Al Ahli Sidab in hockey for several years.
In 1982, Saiyed Ali Sibtain Naqvi popularly known as SAS Naqvi was assigned as the first official National Hockey Coach of Oman by Indian Hockey Federation for a two years along with Olympian Joe Antic (1960 Rome Olympics) as his assistant coach.
The Oman Olympic Committee through which Games participation is ensured was not formed till 1982. Sheikh Fahad Al Sabha, then president of Asian Games Federation (now Olympic Council of Asia) granted recognition to Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) which made it possible for Oman to participate in International Games.
In 1983, Dr Hammad Hamed Al Ghafri was appointed by Royal Decree by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said as the president of Oman Olympic Committee.
A new head office of the Oman Olympic Committee was established with assistance of SAS Naqvi who was nominated as Technical Advisor.
SAS Naqvi had qualified from National Institute of Sports, Patiala, India in1976 and begun his playing career in 1947 until 1972 when he started coaching and umpiring.
SAS Naqvi was the coach of the Indian team at the 1973 World Cup training camp at NIS Patiala. In 1978, he was nominated as the coach of 1978 Indian women’s team for the World Cup at Madrid, Spain. In 1979 he had been appointed as coach of Indian women’s team for the pre-Olympics at Moscow.
From 1979 to 1982 he coached the Bombay XI, Bombay Customs, Punjab Sports Club, Western Railways, Air India, Teksons Sports, Maharashtra State Police and Don Bosco School.
SAS Naqvi accompanied the Oman delegation to the Asian Games in 1982 in Delhi, then again in 1986 at Seoul, 1990 at Beijing, 1994 at Hiroshima and 1998 at Bangkok.
He was also part of the Oman delegation to the Olympic Games in 1988 which was held in Seoul, then to Barcelona in 1992, at Atlanta in 1996 and in 2000 to Sydney, Australia.
SAS Naqvi has served as a Sports Consultant to OHA and FMEC for the last 15 years. Recently he established the Sports Museum in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
Mohammed Shambeh Al Raisi is one of the senior most hockey players of Oman and is a former treasurer of Oman Hockey Association. He has also been a member Asian Hockey Federation and a committee member of the International Hockey Federation (FIH). Mohammed Shambeh, a former chairman of the Oman Veteran’s Hockey Committee had represented Al Ahli Sidab in hockey for several years.
Abdul Rehman Al Raisi is also a former international hockey player and an International Hockey Umpire of Oman, he has been promoting the game for several years now in Oman. Khalid Al Raisi, his son, is an assistant coach of the Oman National Team while Marwan Al Raisi is a prominent member of the Oman National Team.
