Muscat – The Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) is preparing its athletes for Olympic Games in Paris, which start on Friday.

Four athletes will represent Oman across three different sports.

While young sprinter Ali bin Anwar al Balushi will make his Olympic debut, sprinter Mazoon al Alawi is competing in her third Olympics after Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. Both will participate in the 100m race.

National shooter Said Ali al Khatri will also make his Olympic debut, in the men’s Trap Shooting category, while swimmer Issa Sameer al Adawi will compete in the 100-meter freestyle event for the second consecutive Games, following his appearance in Tokyo 2020.

The Paris Olympic Games run until August 11.

Ali al Balushi secured his place in the 100-meter event by qualifying directly among the top 56 sprinters, a position confirmed by World Athletics, the global governing body of the sport. The other athletes from Oman were granted international invitation cards, a result of the OOC’s strong network and connections with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic Solidarity Commission, and various international sports federations.

Last Thursday, OOC Secretary General Taha al Kishry met with the athletes to congratulate them on the honour of representing Oman on the world stage. He encouraged them to perform at their best, aiming to bring honour to Oman through positive and advanced results that reflect the nation’s sporting progress.

Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed al Zubair, Chairman of the OOC, will lead Oman’s official delegation to Paris. The delegation will also include His Highness Sayyid Azan bin Qais al Said, Vice Chairman of the OOC; Taha Suleiman al Kishri, Secretary General of the OOC; Ali bin Salim al Busaifi, Oman’s Chef-de-Mission; Amer al Zeidi, a physiotherapy specialist; and Adil al Balushi as the media reporter. Additionally, the team will feature Shuaib al Zadjali, an anti-doping official, and Abdulmoneim al Alawi, a FINA open water referee.

Ali al Busaifi will depart for Paris on Monday to finalise preparations ahead of the athletes’ arrival. He will attend the Chef-de-Mission meeting at the Olympic Village on Tuesday, which will address accommodation arrangements for the national team, the logistics for the Olympic opening ceremony, and the issuance of accreditation cards for all delegation members.

“I have been in close contact with the Paris 2024 Olympics coordinators over the past months. It is essential to arrive in Paris a few days before the national team to ensure all arrangements are in place,” Ali al Busaifi said. “The Chef-de-Mission meeting will cover various topics to ensure a smooth entry and comfortable stay for our athletes in the Olympic Village.”

“We extend our gratitude to the Paris 2024 Organising Committee and our national team members for their cooperation and support. We wish all our athletes the best as they arrive in Paris to commence their training ahead of the competitions,” he concluded.