The Sultanate of Oman is poised to host three significant sporting events throughout the month of September, including the West Asian Badminton Championship, scheduled to take place at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex from October 7 to 12. Concurrently, the cricket event, the Men's U19 Asia Cup T20 tournament, will be held from October 18 to 27, while the WTT Contender Muscat 2024 will serve as the third event, scheduled from October 27 to November 2 at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.
A total of 72 players from nine nations in West Asia will compete for the coveted top positions and the title of the West Asian Junior Badminton Championship. The Oman Racket Sports Committee (ORSC) will oversee nine teams, including representatives from Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Qatar, Lebanon, and the host nation, Oman, competing in both singles and doubles events for boys and girls, as well as mixed doubles in the Under-15 and Under-17 age categories.
The championship's playing format will adhere to the regulations set forth by Badminton Asia. Teams will be divided into two groups, with each group competing against one another. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stages.
In the realm of cricket, Oman Cricket will coordinate the Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 in collaboration with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). A total of eight teams have confirmed their participation in the tournament, including the cricket powerhouses of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, alongside the hosts Oman, UAE, and Hong Kong. The tournament will be held at the Oman Cricket Academy in Al Amerat, with teams divided into two groups: Group A consisting of Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong, and Group B comprising Oman, UAE, Pakistan, and India. The tournament will follow a round-robin format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals. The winners of the semifinals will then compete in the final match, scheduled for October 27.
Furthermore, the Oman Table Tennis Association (OTTA) is preparing to host another edition of WTT Contender Muscat 2024 from October 27 to November 2. This event is expected to attract over 100 paddlers from various nations, competing in a six-day tournament featuring a variety of competition categories, including men’s singles and doubles, women’s singles and doubles, and mixed doubles. The prestigious table tennis event will be organized by the Oman Table Tennis Association in collaboration with WTT and the World Table Tennis governing body ITTF.
Lin Shidong of China and South Korean Oh Junsung, ranked World No 7 and World No 32 respectively, will participate in the prestigious World-Class TTT tournament in Muscat, Oman. Additionally, Yukiya Uda from Japan, ranked World No 40, along with his teammate Hiroto (World No 41), are among the other top-seeded paddlers expected to compete. The Oman team also includes Muhannad al Balushi, Nasser al Balushi, Ghassan al Ghassani, and Badar al Jassasi. The Oman team is being guided by the Iranian head coach, Omid Shamassharbabki.
