Muscat – The 41st Gulf Club Handball Championship will commence on Saturday in Muscat, with the opening ceremony taking place under the patronage of H H Sayyid Mohammed bin Salim al Said.

The opening ceremony will feature attendance of distinguished guests, including Moosa al Balushi, Chairman of the Oman Handball Association (OHA), and Jihad al Shaikh, chairman of the organising committee, alongside other officials.

Sheikh said, “Preparations for the tournament have been ongoing, with all logistical arrangements such as hotel bookings, transportation, and stadium preparations finalised.”

As the tournament approaches, Oman and Seeb clubs are wrapping up their final preparations. Oman Club recently concluded an external training camp in Bahrain, securing two victories against Al Ahli Bahrain (32-25) and Al Dair Bahrain (33-30). These matches provided head coach Ibrahim Bouderbali with a key opportunity to evaluate his squad, test different strategies, and fine-tune tactics ahead of the competition.

“Our goal is to represent Oman in the best possible way and give our maximum effort in every match. Despite some injuries, we have a talented squad ready to step up when needed. Our focus is on maintaining high morale and delivering strong performances,” said Bouderbali.

Oman Club boosted their squad by signing three professional players – Ali bin Abdullah (Bahrain), Qam bin Mohammed (Bahrain) and Mohamed Ihab Brouis (Algeria).

Meanwhile, Seeb Club has intensified its training schedule with a rigorous two-session daily programme, overseen by national coach Nabil al Balushi. The team aims to build on its strong domestic league form, where it currently holds second place.

Seeb has also reinforced its squad with the signings of Bahraini player Ahmed Redha and Muhannad Al Zarafi from Ahli Sidab.

The championship will have eight teams, divided into two groups. Group A features Al Rayyan (Qatar), Al Najma (Bahrain), Al Noor (Saudi Arabia) and Seeb (Oman) while group B comprises Oman Club (Oman), Kuwait SC (Kuwait), Dibba al Hisn (UAE) and Al Arab (Qatar).

The official technical meeting ahead of the championship is scheduled on Friday. The session will finalise tournament regulations, team rosters, and jersey colours in preparation for the competition.