Oman’s National Esports Team Completes Preparations Ahead of “Rocket League” Competitions – Wednesday

Oman’s national esports team will begin its first matches in the Rocket League tournament at 12:00 PM Muscat time on Wednesday, as part of the Asian Youth Games hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain.

In swimming, despite Mohammad Al-Farsi of the national team finishing third in the 100m freestyle heats in his group, his time of 57.74 seconds was not sufficient to advance to the finals. The preliminary heats were highly competitive, featuring top Asian swimmers. China’s Yu Xingoku won the first heat with a time of 51.18 seconds.

Oman’s delegation continues to participate in swimming and esports events at the third edition of the Asian Youth Games, taking place in Bahrain from October 22–31. Over 5,000 athletes from 45 Asian Olympic Committees are competing across 24 sports, 31 disciplines, and 253 events, hosted at several venues including Isa Sports City, Khalifa Sports City, the Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Center, Endurance Village, and Sama Bay.

Strong Heats in 100m Freestyle

The preliminary heats in the 100m freestyle swimming event were competitive and intense, with swimmers from various nations giving their best. Mohammad Al-Farsi competed in the first group, finishing third with a time of 57.74 seconds. However, this time was not enough to qualify for the finals, with Chinese swimmers leading the overall rankings with times not exceeding 52.08 seconds.

A Key Milestone

Swimming coach Abdulhafeez Rahmani Gawadri stated: “Al-Farsi’s participation in this tournament is a crucial milestone in his swimming career at the end of 2025. He has been preparing since the start of the year, undergoing an intensive program of 8 to 9 training sessions per week, including three specialized dry-land sessions for muscle strengthening. He specializes in sprint events of 50m and 200m freestyle and backstroke.

“In his first 50m freestyle race, Al-Farsi came close to achieving his training target. We look forward to his upcoming races. At 17 years old, he is at the peak of his performance, and we expect his level to improve in the coming years. One of our goals for his participation in this event is to meet the qualifying standards for the fourth edition of the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar in October 2026. This tournament is an excellent opportunity for strong competition with top Asian teams, which is essential for reaching full readiness and achieving a high technical level. Consistency, proper training planning, nutrition, and balancing academics with sports are all key factors in success.”

A Valuable Experience

Al-Farsi said: “The competition is very strong, with the best swimmers in Asia. I am working hard to improve my personal best. This event is an important step for strong competition with top Asian athletes. The preparation involved intensive daily training, both in and out of the pool. Although I did not qualify, it was a great experience and valuable exposure I had not encountered before. It gave me significant technical and competitive experience that will benefit me in future competitions.”

Intensive Esports Training

Meanwhile, Oman’s national esports team continued its intensive preparations for the Rocket League tournament on Wednesday. The players focused on improving team coordination and enhancing tactical and technical aspects of collective gameplay.

Enthusiastic Atmosphere

The training sessions were marked by enthusiasm and high concentration. The coaching staff reviewed key strategies used in international competitions and worked on developing reaction speed and real-time communication among players in the virtual playing arena.

Ambitions and Readiness

Hamad bin Yaqub Al-Jahouri said: “The national esports team enters the Rocket League competition fully prepared and focused. The players’ morale is high after a period of intensive training. We have a talented group of young players eager to deliver a strong performance that reflects the development of esports in Oman.”

He added: “We trust our players’ abilities to compete against strong teams from 20 countries across Asia and aim to achieve positive results that enhance Oman’s presence in Asian esports.”

Competitive Edge

The competitions, held from October 29–30, are expected to be highly competitive. Oman’s national esports team has already secured a spot in the Islamic Solidarity Games among top teams and achieved a historic milestone by qualifying for the FIFA eWorld Cup finals in Saudi Arabia from December 15–19, 2025. Oman remains the only Gulf and Arab team alongside the host Saudi team in the finals. With these achievements, we wish the national team and all participating athletes success, hoping our champions continue to excel and proudly raise the Omani flag on the international stage.

Technical and Mental Preparedness

Coach Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Atiqi confirmed: “The players are fully prepared both technically and mentally, showing a strong desire to achieve positive results representing Oman in this Asian event. The team conducted its final training session yesterday to apply the finishing touches before the official matches on Wednesday.”

Omani Referees and Officials

Nine Omani referees and technical officials are participating in various competitions at the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, nominated by the Asian Federation in recognition of their previous outstanding performance. The officials include:

• Mal Allah Al-Busaidi, International Swimming Referee

• Abdullah Al-Dhahli, Athletics Referee

• Badr Al-Sarmi, Beach Volleyball Referee

• Omar Al-Shehi, Khamis Al-Wuhaibi, and Abeer Al-Zadjali, Handball Referees

• Mariam Al-Hadrami, Futsal Referee

• Jassim Al-Rashdi, International Taekwondo Referee