PDO supports Oman Schools football finals

MUSCAT: Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has signed an agreement to support grassroots soccer in the Sultanate by being the main sponsor of the Oman Schools League football finals for the 2016-17 season.

The nationwide competition, which is organised in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Al Swayni Sport Services, is the first official league organised annually for all government public and private schools in Oman.

It aims to develop the football talents of young players aged 15-18 years and around 250 schools will participate. It is also hoped the tournament will spur the development of qualified cadres of students in sports administration and technical management, sports medicine and physiotherapy, and refereeing.

The tournament starts in October and the finals will be held in March 2017 at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat where the 12 qualifying teams from the first round in each region will compete over 28 games in a nine-day period to determine the winner.

A Memorandum of Understanding covering the finals was signed on Tuesday by PDO External Affairs and Value Creation Director Abdul-Amir bin Hussein al Ajmi and Oman Schools League Chief Executive Officer Amin bin Saad al Sawayni Bait-Saleem.

Al Ajmi said: “The agreement demonstrates PDO’s continuous commitment to support the local community and develop the talents of Oman’s youth, whether in the vocational, educational or sporting realm.

“This football competition will bring together the cream of young Omani soccer talent from the 10th to 12th grades and generate a lot of excitement and interest across the nation, with an estimated fan base of 350,000.”