Muscat: In line with its commitment to partnership in community development and promoting Oman as a sporting nation, Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate handed over the 65th football field developed as part of its Green Sports programme to the Al Awabi Sports Team.
The Green Sports football field was handed over at a special ceremony under the auspices H.E. Rashad Ahmed Al Hinai, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Sports Affairs and officials from the bank.
Bank Muscat has so far provided support to 108 sports teams, with 65 Green Sports Fields having been inaugurated since the launch of the Bank’s flagship CSR programme in 2012.
Addressing the gathering, Youssef bin Khalfan Al-Nadabi, Regional Manager, Batinah South, Bank Muscat, congratulated the management, players and fans of the team and said: “The Green Sports programme contributes substantially to strengthening the bank's role in the field of corporate social responsibility and encouraging the youth by providing green sports fields to help them develop their talents and skills.
"The programme also helps in the organising of various sporting events and activities in an appropriate and encouraging sports environment. We are pleased to be here in Al Awabi today to celebrate the opening of the new stadium for the youth team. We wish all success to the management, players and fans of the Al Awabi team in the coming years.”
Youssef Al Nadabi added that registration is currently open for sports teams who wish to benefit from the Green Sports programme in 2020 and encouraged teams to apply for the same at the earliest. The registration process will close on 1 January 2020. Marking the 9th year of the unique CSR initiative, the bank will support the development of 15 football fields across the Sultanate in 2020.
Houd Sulaiman Al Kharusi, Manager of the Al Awabi Sports Team thanked Bank Muscat for the Green Sports Programme that is greatly contributing to the development of the youth as well as communities across different governorates.
He said that the entire management, the players as well as the fans of the team were thankful to the Bank for its Green Sports programme, which would go a long way in developing the talents and capabilities of youth in the country, particularly in sports.
He added that the programme serves to complement the development initiatives undertaken by the Government of Oman.
The scope of Green Sports support for sports teams include greening of football fields with natural or synthetic turf, floodlights or water desalination equipment in areas facing problems of water salinity.
Ensuring wider representation, the Green Sports support is extended to develop sustainable sports infrastructure across the Sultanate, thereby serving as a means to channelise the energy and talents of the youth in a productive way.