Oman hopes to utilise Junior World Cup’s global platform to drive hockey back home
The saying, ‘Not all battles are fought for victory. Some are fought simply to tell the world that someone was there on the battlefield,’ perfectly captures the spirit of Oman’s campaign at the FIH Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup 2025.
As the lowest-ranked team among the 24 participants, Oman endured difficult scorelines, conceding 23 goals during the pool stage and another 13 in its first 17-24 classification match against Bangladesh. However, for coach Mohammed Jandal Bait, the true victory lies in using this global platform to cultivate a renewed hockey culture back home.
“The biggest thing in sport is to show up,” Jandal Bait told Sportstar. “Sport is about winning and losing, but it is also about building character. I have seen small improvements in my players in every match. Yes, we got hammered against India and Switzerland, but for these players, the experience of a World Cup will drive hockey in Oman.”
Investing in the future
Oman fielded one of the youngest squads in the U-21 tournament, boasting an average age of just 17—the same age as the youngest player on the Indian squad, Ajeet Yadav. Unsurprisingly, attention has been drawn to the event’s youngest participant, Ammar Al Qaiti. The boy from Rustaq, who is not yet 15, is one of nine players who made their international debut at this World Cup.
The coach deliberately brought a youth-heavy contingent. “We bought a lot of youngsters,” he explained. “They can go back home and share their experiences with other players and encourage them for the next camp. It is a struggle to bring in more kids to the camps. Hopefully, after this trip, it will become a bit easier.”
Overcoming preparation hurdles
Roped in at the last minute to replace Pakistan, the Omani team had a mere 13 days to prepare for the world stage. This lack of lead-up was physically taxing, with players visibly struggling with cramps and some suffering injuries during the matches.
READ: Junior Hockey World Cup 2025: India faces tough test against Belgium in quarterfinal
“Preparing a team for the World Cup in 13 days is not ideal,” the coach admitted. “My players are not at all at the fitness level of an international standard. They are all students, and they had to balance studies during the camp. They are showing a good fight, and I’m seeing the urge to grow their game.”
The struggle to sustain hockey
Jandal Bait, who also coaches the senior national side, remains optimistic despite the long-term challenges facing hockey in Oman. The senior team, for instance, had to skip the Asia Cup 2025 in Rajgir, India, despite having qualified by winning the AHF Cup.
“We are not like the top nations like India. We don’t get a lot of matches outside tournaments,” he noted. “Hockey is not a popular sport in our country like football. Getting money is a big issue for us.” He confirmed this financial hurdle was the main reason they couldn’t compete in the Asia Cup.
He concluded on a hopeful note: “Things are getting better; we received a lot of support from the federation to participate in this event, and it will hopefully improve hockey.”
Published on Dec 04, 2025