Ajman: Omani players were in supreme form taking the top two spots at the end of the 13th GCC Beach Volleyball Championships that concluded in Ajman on Sunday.
In an all-Oman final played at the open beach near the Kempinski Hotel in Ajman, the ‘A' team of Khalifa Al Jabri and Badr Al Subhi defeated the second-string combination of Haitham Bin Khalfan and Ahmad Al Hussaini in three sets.
Shaikh Ammar Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, watched the finals along with Ebrahim Abdul Malek, secretary-general of the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare; Angelo Squeo, FIVB's beach volleyball events director; Amer Ali, president, UAE Volleyball Association, and other top ranking officials.
Oman were quarter-finalists at the Arab Beach Volleyball Championships in Egypt in September. They then entered the last-four stage at the Gulf Beach Games in Bahrain last month.
"And now to reach the final and win the title is a good progression for my teams," said Oman's Thai coach Nantharit Rittiwont.
Al Jabri and Al Subhi had to draw on all their experience as they clawed back from an early deficit in the first set to equalise at 17-17 before going on to win it 21-18.
The youthful Bin Khalfan and Al Hussaini, however, had other ideas taking the second set 21-17 to force the deciding third set. They should have won that as well after being tied 8-8 but the higher-ranked combination sealed the match with a 17-15 result in the deciding set.
"I am pleased with the progress made by my teams during a short span of time," confided Rittiwont. "I want to see the development of this sport in the entire Gulf area as that will only increase our challenge as the best teams here," he added.
Earlier in the semi-finals, Oman ‘A' defeated Bahrain ‘B' 15-21, 21-17, 15-11, while Oman ‘B' dispatched Saudi Arabia 21-14, 21-4.
Injury
Bahrain ‘B' settled for third place while leading 21-12, 8-6 against Saudi Arabia ‘A' after Masoud Al Musheki from the kingdom injured his left knee.
Qatar ‘A' also forfeited their match to Kuwait ‘A' in a clash to decide the fifth spot, while UAE ‘A' settled for seventh place.
