The final, held under the patronage of HH Sayyid Dr Fahd bin Al Julanda Al Said, Vice-Chancellor of Sultan Qaboos University, was attended by dignitaries, Oman Hockey Association (OHA) officials and a large, vocal crowd. Having lifted their maiden title last year, Al Amerat’s back-to-back triumph confi rmed their status as Oman’s new hockey powerhouse. The Muscat-based side started with high intensity, pressing deep and creating early openings, though both teams missed penalty corners in a tense, goalless first quarter. Ahli-Sidab took the lead in the second quarter when Rashid Salem Al Fazari scored from Pardeep Singh’s assist. But Al Amerat hit back immediately through a penalty stroke from Korean star Jonghyun Jang, to make it 1–1. Just four minutes later, Uttam Singh fi red in to give Al Amerat a 2–1 advantage at halftime. Al Amerat widened the gap early in the third quarter when Lalit Kumar Upadhyay followed up on a rebound to make it 3–1. Ahli-Sidab rallied, reducing the deficit to 3–2 through Pardeep Singh’s neat finish in the 39th minute. The drama peaked in the final quarter. Al Fazari equalised 3–3,
only to be shown a yellow card
minutes later for temporary sus-
pension. Al Amerat capitalised on the numerical advantage as Osama Khamis restored their lead at 4–3. But with seconds left, Ahli-Sidab earned a penalty corner, and Al Fazari fresh from suspension converted to force a shootout.
Tie-breaker
In the tie-breaker, Al Amerat held
their nerve, winning 4–3 to spark jubilant celebrations. HH Sayyid Dr Fahd Al Said was joined by Basil bin Ahmed Al Rawas, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, and Dr Marwan bin Juma Al Juma, OHA Chairman at the presentation ceremony. Champions Al Amerat received OMR 40,000 and gold medals, while Ahli-Sidab took OMR 25,000 and silver. Salalah Club
clinched bronze, defeating Sohar
4–3 on penalties after a 3–3 draw. Earlier in the semi-fi nals, Ahli-Sidab routed Sohar 5-1, while Al Amerat booked their spot with a commanding 8-0 win over Salalah. The 55th edition saw a record 20 clubs compete and featured VAR technology and international referees, marking another milestone in
the sport’s professionalisation.
Individual awards: Best player: Younis Ghabish Al Nofali (Al Am-
erat); Best goalkeeper: Fahad Al
Nofli (Al Amerat), Top scorer: Jonghyun Jang (13 goals, Al Amerat), Best promising player: Maitham Saif Al Wahaibi (Ahli-Sidab)
