Five Matches in Ten Days: How Quriyat Club Claimed Its First-Ever Oman Hockey League Crown
Under the floodlights of Al Amerat, coastal side Quriyat edged perennial contenders Al Amerat 3–2 in a breathless final to write a new chapter in Omani club hockey.
When the final hooter sounded across the blue turf of Oman Hockey Stadium in Al Amerat, players in Quriyat Club colors dropped to their knees before sprinting toward the touchline. After years of chasing the country’s established hockey heavyweights, the coastal club from Muscat Governorate had just held off host side Al Amerat 3–2 to lift the Oman Hockey League trophy for the first time in its history.
Nothing about the run to the title came easily. Compressed into a tight calendar window following the national youth team’s return from the Asian Youth Games in Japan, the decisive stretch forced Quriyat to play five high-intensity matches inside roughly ten days. Rather than fading under the physical toll, head coach Ayman Al Kathiri’s squad grew sharper with every outing—culminating in a nerve-testing championship decider against one of Oman’s deepest hockey clubs.
A Marathon Final Against Familiar Giants
From the opening push-back, the championship match lived up to its billing. Al Amerat—boasting league Best Player winner Rashid Al Fazari and playing on home turf—pressed relentlessly to turn the contest in its favor. Quriyat answered with compact defensive organization anchored by goalkeeper Ahmed Al Naabi, whose composure between the posts earned him the tournament’s Best Goalkeeper honor, alongside Best Rising Player winner Rashid Al Alawi.
Club Chairman Mohammed bin Khalfan Al Musharrafi described the 3–2 triumph as a marathon test that stayed in the balance until its closing seconds. Facing a seasoned opponent with a proud domestic pedigree demanded calm execution as much as stamina.
“We knew Al Amerat’s stature and history in Omani hockey, and the match stayed difficult right down to its final moments,” Al Musharrafi said after the trophy ceremony, held under the patronage of Amjad bin Iqbal Al Lawati of Bank Dhofar alongside Oman Hockey Association Chairman Dr. Marwan bin Juma Al Juma. “Our players showed their character across every phase of the game and earned this historic first league title through sheer persistence.”
Earlier on finals night, Salalah secured third place overall with a 4–1 victory over Sohar, while Al Seeb forward Khalid Al Hassani finished the campaign as the league’s top goalscorer.
Tactical Belief Over a Grueling Ten-Day Stretch
For coach Ayman Al Kathiri, the breakthrough belonged equally to a club board that backed a long-term technical plan even after a modest opening game. As the group fixtures unfolded—highlighted by emphatic wins over Al Suwaiq and Sohar alongside a 3–3 battle with Al Amerat—the players found their rhythm at the exact moment knockout pressure arrived.
“Playing five matches in roughly ten days placed heavy physical and tactical strain on the squad,” Al Kathiri noted. “What carried us through was the commitment of the players, their exact adherence to tactical instructions on the pitch, and a club administration that believed in our project despite the risks.”
Celebrations in Quriyat will be brief. Both Al Musharrafi and Al Kathiri confirmed that recovery and video review begin almost immediately as the squad shifts focus toward the season’s marquee knockout prize: His Majesty the Sultan’s Cup for Hockey.
A New Two-Tier Structure Widens the Pitch
Beyond Quriyat’s milestone, the 2026 campaign introduced a structural shift designed by the Oman Hockey Association to give every participating club meaningful knockout hockey. Eight clubs—Quriyat, Al Amerat, Salalah, Sohar, Al Seeb, Al Suwaiq, Al Ittihad, and Masirah—competed across two preliminary groups. While the top two sides from each group contested the elite Oman Hockey League semifinals, the third- and fourth-placed teams entered the newly launched Jindal Hockey League tier.
Al Seeb, coached by Hani Al Kulaibi, captured that inaugural Jindal League shield with a 3–1 win over Al Ittihad, while Al Suwaiq defeated Masirah 4–1 for third place—giving squads vital competitive minutes ahead of the Sultan’s Cup.
Abdulrahman Al Balushi, head of the Association’s Technical Committee, pointed as well to two encouraging signs for the domestic game: the return of private-sector sponsorship through Bank Dhofar, and the steady development of young Omani umpires officiating high-stakes fixtures alongside international referees. With youth titles already in Quriyat’s cabinet over recent seasons and a senior league shield now gleaming beside them, a coastal town long passionate about the sport has officially arrived at Oman’s top table.
