OOC appoints experienced Newenham as technical director
MUSCAT: In a move to further strengthen and develop sporting success in the Sultanate, the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) has appointed Tim Newenham in the new role of technical director. Hailing from the UK, Newenham was instrumental in establishing the English Institute of Sport which played a major part in Great Britain’s success at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Sayyid Khalid al Busaidi, Chairman of the OOC, commented: “We are delighted to welcome our new team member Tim Newenham who will be joining us in our sporting efforts.”
“He comes to us with key experience as an athlete, coach, performance director, national director and CEO giving a unique 360-degree perspective,” the OOC chief said.
“Tim will be responsible for motivating the Oman team and athletes to strive for excellence whilst setting high standards of performance that are systematic and process driven with on-going monitoring and continuous improvement.”
“Having worked at the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships and World Cups we know he is going to be a valuable asset to the team and can’t wait to see what he helps us accomplish.
“In the coming years we have great hopes and aspirations especially for the 2024 Olympics. With hard work, new opportunities and stellar leaders onboard we are sure we can make our hopes become a reality.”
A former international athlete himself in athletics and bobsleigh,
Newenham previously worked as a national coach and also as a performance director at the Olympic Games helping Peter Wilson secure Olympic gold and number one world ranking.
More recently, as Podium Director in Malaysia he was responsible for ensuring optimal athlete preparations before and at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and the Commonwealth
Games Gold Coast 2018. He was instrumental in helping the team achieve more medals at the Rio Olympic Games and Paralympic Games than ever before.
A sports science graduate and education postgraduate from Loughborough University, Newenham is now looking forward to establishing further links with education, higher education, sports, coaches and athletes along with the Ministry of Sports Affairs and other partners.
Tim Newenham commented: “I am honoured and delighted to have this opportunity to further strengthen sports in this beautiful country. This is my first time in the Sultanate, so I will listen very carefully to people already involved in sports in Oman in order to gain a full understanding of where we are now, what we currently have and also to understand the culture. Adding this to my knowledge of sports from different perspectives I will be able to assess where we can really push forward, strengthen and develop. Working together over time we can raise sports performances to new heights in the Sultanate, not least through introducing sports science to support the athletes and coaches, along with technical planning.”