Sports Complexes of Oman
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said
>Contents Introduction A Place for the Community Young Athletes Events Training Hubs Centres of Excellence Women Sports People with Special Needs Design Facilities Football Aquatics Indoor Outdoor Track & Field
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The Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex at Bausher Sohar Sports Complex Al Saadah Sports Complex Nizwa Sports Complex Sur Sports Complex Ibri Sports Complex Khasab Sports Complex Salalah Sports Complex Seeb Stadium Contact Details
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support>5 exceed dare>3 Football fans at the Sulatn Qaboos Sports Complex at Bausher
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>Introduction There are eight sports complexes in the Sultanate of Oman, namely: the Sultan Qaboos Stadium at Bausher, Nizwa Complex, Sohar Complex, Sur Complex, Ibri Complex, Khasab Complex, Salalah Complex and Al Saadah Complex as well as the Seeb Stadium. They represent the fulfilment of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s promise to the people of Oman and stand witness to his continued commitment to the well-being of our nation and are an enduring legacy for future generations. At the Ministry of Sports Affairs (MoSA) we believe that our sports complexes are fundamental to developing sporting opportunities for everyone, from the young beginner to the elite high-performance athlete; they define Oman’s current and future sporting identity. These sporting venues are places where champions and international class athletes perform and compete. Indeed, they have hosted major national, regional and international sporting events from His Majesty’s Cup for Hockey Tournament to the Arabian Gulf Football Cup, International Tennis Federation (ITF) Davis Cup Tennis and cycling’s Tour d’Oman. These events have commanded wide television audiences and as a result have showcased our nation to the world. But more than that, they are environments where everyone can take part in, watch and enjoy sport. They are venues for us to realize our ambitions, develop our sporting talents, maintain our levels of fitness and push our physical boundaries; to watch and support our athletes and teams and pursue our goals. In short, our sports complexes are places for the community and as such have a vital role to play in the development of our nation – connecting people through sport and leisure and making sport an integral part of life for as many people as possible, whatever their sport, sporting interest, level or ability. Indeed, these complexes are, in every sense, places where sport comes to life. The facilities of each complex, and the resources within them, are designed to grow and develop with the communities they serve, meeting the demands of the increasing numbers of sports enthusiasts in Oman. Each has its own dedicated on-going development plan expertly constructed to cater for a diverse range of sport but above all to meet the needs of the local population.
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support>7 focus win>5 Football fans at the Sulatn Qaboos Sports Complex at Bausher
>A Place for the Community Sport brings people together regardless of nationality, age or gender – the shared experience, the common emotions, the pursuit of mutual goals. It indisputably plays an integral role in contemporary society and our sports complexes are central to this; they have a vital part to play in bringing sport to people’s lives. Access to good sports facilities is essential to developing sporting opportunities for everyone. They provide the bridge between aspirations and life and help dreams become reality whether that is achieving a personal fitness goal, trying out a new skill, seeing a favourite player up-close or striving for international excellence. Recognising the importance of sport in our community and our lives, each of our sports complexes has been designed to provide a comprehensive range of facilities and has been purpose built in response to the needs and demands of the community it serves. They are designed to provide access to all for a wide variety of sports activities; our complexes allow us to host major championships, events and games but above all else they are places where everyone, whatever their level or sporting interest, can access sport – thereby increasing participation in sport and physical activity among all sections of society and for people from all walks of life.
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Young Athletes< Without doubt our gifted youth are our greatest asset and the talent pool from which our future elite athletes, sportsmen and women will emerge. Young people are at the heart of our sports complexes; to nurture and develop these young athletes and to help them achieve their full potential, access to a range of top class sports facilities is essential. We are proud that our sports complexes across the nation have given them an environment in which to learn and develop; to help them achieve their dreams. Indeed, in recognition of these efforts, in 1995 the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex at Bausher was awarded the UNESCO Medal and Certificate of Excellence for Services to Youth. However, our aim is not just to focus on the development of those with the potential for high-level achievement. We fully recognize the importance of sport in the lives of all our young people. Indeed, there is a growing body of evidence indicating that taking part in sport has a positive impact on many aspects of young peoplesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lives. For example, not only does it help develop a healthy lifestyle and contribute to improved educational standards, it also builds confidence and helps general personal development. In short, sport inspires and motivates young people to be the best they possibly can in many fields. It is with pleasure that we have noted more and more young people embrace the opportunities sport can bring and along with this we have welcomed increasing numbers of young people to our sports complexes, seen them commit to making sport a part of their life, and witnessed them blossom in the sporting arena. For many, sport is the gateway to their future achievement in many disciplines and we look forward to their successes.
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Young swimmers set for success
>Events The Sports Complexes of Oman have hosted major domestic and international sporting events, attracting huge attendance and televised to viewers across the Sultanate, around the Gulf and over the world. Indeed, these prestigious events have acted as platforms through which we can share the benefits of our sports complexes beyond Omanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s borders. Additionally, the Sports Complexes boast an active annual events programme designed to appeal to all sporting tastes. As part of this programme MoSA has established the Summer of Sport to develop the sporting potential of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s youth; giving children from the age of six the unparalleled opportunity to take part in a wide variety of sports activities and discover new sporting talents, all under the guidance of expert coaches. Since its inception the programme has attracted tens of thousands of children and young people from across the Sultanate.
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Training Hubs< Oman has a wealth of sports teams, associations and clubs as well as committed individual athletes. The Sports Complexes of Oman serve as training hubs for sports people of all disciplines and endeavour to provide full access to the facilities and resources they need to complete their training and competition requirements. Our sports complexes are also proud to serve as the home base for many clubs.
Centres of Excellence< The Sports Complexes of Oman are the training facility of choice for Omanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elite athletes of all disciplines. Their fully integrated environment nurtures local talent and allows it to flourish while offering professional and expert preparation for international level competition. Our complexes also attract world class sports people from around the globe who are seeking the ideal environment in which to train and prepare for events. While our sports complexes are designed to meet the needs of high performance athletes, they also have the privilege and responsibility of serving as focal points for sport in their area.
inspire>9 Hajji Shaban: Omanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Champion Bodybuilder
>Women We take great pride in the achievements of Omanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outstanding female athletes in fields as diverse as sailing, tennis, track and field and horse riding. In order to ensure their continued sporting success, and to encourage the next generation of female athletes, our sports complexes aim to inspire more women to enjoy sporting activity and to encourage them to develop their talents and realise their potential.
>Sports People with Special Needs We take a particular interest in athletes and sports people with special needs and are keen to ensure their full participation in sport. Our sports complexes have been designed and constructed to a high standard and made as accessible and inclusive as possible for people of all abilities. Our aim is to make provision for all likely requirements so everyone can enjoy participating in, and watching, sport.
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Omanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fatma Al Nabhani: A familiar face on the ITF womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s circuit
Design< Our sports complexes have all been designed as fully integrated sporting environments to meet the needs of the individuals and communities they serve, catering as comprehensively as possible for both sports people and spectators. They are built to last, to be a pleasure to use and to be assets to the sporting community The design of our sports complexes has also been influenced by the rigours of our climate; consideration has been given to the balance of indoor and outdoor facilities to ensure that the complexes can be used 12 months of the year. They have also been designed to meet international standards not only in terms of structure and construction but also as regards the quality of the sports facilities themselves. With the future in mind, each of our complexes has a flexible development plan to respond to the changing sports environment and the growth of the local population.
Facilities< In equipping our sports complexes we have made the needs of the sports person and spectator paramount and we are committed to meet the demands and requirements of international standards. All our equipment is well-maintained by qualified staff and upgraded on a regular basis and as needs demand.
build>11 A view of Al Saadah Sports Complex
>Football Football is enjoyed across the Sultanate and is at the heart of sport in Oman. Indeed, as a nation we have achieved considerable success in regional and international football tournaments. It is no surprise therefore that all of our complexes have facilities for this sport as their focal point - whether that is for training and playing or for staging games and tournaments. Despite Omanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s climate, footballers in our complexes are able to play their game on natural grass pitches. All aspects of our football facilities are regularly checked by FIFA officials and our complexes are upgraded on a regular basis to ensure full compliance with their requirements. To ensure spectators have the best possible experience at football games our complexes provide good seating, ample parking, floodlights for evening games and well-displayed score boards.
>Aquatics Our complexes have several indoor and outdoor 50 and 25 metre pools suitable for both training and high level competition. The pools enjoy a good level of use and Oman has a promising national swim squad as well as a diving team that is rapidly making its mark in the international arena.
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Ali Al Habsi: Oman Goalkeeper and English Premiership player
Indoor< Basketball, handball and volleyball are enormously popular in Oman and are practised on a regular basis in our fully air-conditioned multi-purpose courts which also host well-attended competitions and tournaments throughout the year. However, these are not the only sports enjoyed in our indoor courts. They are used by 5-a-side football teams, martial arts enthusiasts and gymnasts as well as growing numbers of womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aerobics clubs. Our paralympians also make good use of these facilities.
Outdoor< Oman has an exceptional pool of hockey talent with players achieving success at high levels. His Majestyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cup for Hockey Tournament is one of the highlights of the national sporting calendar with games played in sports complexes across the country. It is no surprise that facilities for hockey are amongst the most popular and well-used in our complexes. Tennis is growing in popularity in Oman and participation in the sport is increasing steadily as is witnessed by the number of players using the tennis facilities in our complexes.
Track & Field< Omani athletes in track and field events have a long history of success which serves as a continuing source of inspiration and motivation to sports people across the Sultanate. With this in mind, facilities for track and field practice, as well as competition, are widely available.
compete>13 Handball enjoys enormous popularity in Oman
>The Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex at Bausher Built in 1985, the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex at Bausher is proud to be the first sports complex given to the people of Oman by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and is the home of sports in the Sultanate. The Bausher Complex is situated on an imposing site of over 800,000m2 in the heart of Oman’s capital city, Muscat. In an area of immense natural beauty, Oman’s premier sports complex is set against an impressive mountain backdrop. Indeed, the prominent location and striking contemporary design of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex at Bausher have made it an iconic landmark. Just 16 kilometres from Muscat International Airport and with a variety of hospitals nearby, the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex is easily accessed from all parts of the city. It is within easy reach of a range of tourist attractions - from stunning beaches and historic forts to shopping malls and international hotels. The Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex has an impressive range of facilities that are available for use year round. In recognition of the high standard of these facilities, the Complex has frequently been selected to host regional and international sports championships, competitions and events for Asian sports organizations and the Olympic Committee of Asia allowing the people of Oman to see some of the world’s best sports action live.
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