Oman's table tennis team is preparing to participate in the 29th edition of the Asian Table Tennis Championships (ITTF-ATTU) in 2026, which will be held from October 19 to 25 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Asian Competitions and Their Importance
This event is considered a key continental championship and a qualifying pathway for the World Table Tennis Finals in 2027. The Asian Championships will be a significant test for leading Omani players, as this competition brings together some of the strongest table tennis countries in the continent.
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Team Composition and Preparation Plans
The Oman team will be sent to this competition with a five-member lineup consisting of Mohannad Al-Balushi, Ahmed Al-Riyami, Ghassan Al-Ghassani, Bilal Al-Rashdi, and Nasser Al-Balushi. This team is under the guidance of head coach Omid Shams from Iran and assistant coach Adnan Faqahri from Syria.
The Oman team has entered an intensive phase of technical and physical preparations before this competition. Training camps focus on tactical awareness, technical execution, competitive readiness, and physical condition, with special attention given to the requirements of competing against high-level opponents in Asia.
For Oman, these Asian competitions provide valuable international experience and exposure for the players, while the Oman Table Tennis Federation (OTTA) continues its efforts to enhance the national team's competitiveness at the regional and international levels. Mohannad, from Al-Marah Club, enters this competition with confidence; he recently won the men's singles title at the National Table Tennis Championships earlier this month, defeating Nasser Al-Balushi from Seeb Club in the final with a score of 3-1.
Ghassan Al-Ghassani, representing Seeb Club, achieved third place after defeating his teammate Hitham Al-Mandhari with a score of 3-1. The recent national championships provided an important competitive platform for the players.
Last month, Oman secured numerous encouraging medals at the West Asian Table Tennis Championships in Jordan, achieving a total of three medals. The results included one silver medal and two bronze medals, reflecting the potential of young Omani players in team and doubles competitions.
Ahmed Al-RAWahi and Iyad Al-Jasasi won the silver medal in the boys' doubles under 19 category. The duo reached the final after defeating their Qatari opponents, Taqi Al-Din Najadat and Jad Al-Baysani, with a score of 3-2, but ultimately lost 3-2 to Ahmed Qurni and Rwad Al-Nasr from Qatar. Additionally, Talya Al-RAWahi, Salma Al-Nasri, and Fatima Al-Balushi earned the bronze medal in the girls' team event under 13, and another bronze medal in the girls' doubles under 13, where Salma and Talya reached the semifinals but lost 3-1 to their Qatari opponents, Kinda Mahmoud and Hessa.
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