‘There’s strong growth potential for squash in Oman’
MUSCAT: PC Thomas, one of the architect of Muscat Squash League, sees strong growth potential for the game in Oman and feels the future is bright.
Thomas, who works in Oman and pursues his passion in squash, while breaking into a conversation with Times Sport, said that lately he was amazed at the standard set by the senior players.
“I was amazed at the senior level of local squash players, which is very high. But unfortunately most of them are at the senior level. For Oman to excel in squash, we should start at the grass roots level of the sport which is schools and colleges,” he said.
“Local youngsters have great stamina and determination to excel at sports. Squash needs to be introduced to them. We need to spread the sport and have an organisational set up to monitor their growth and training. Squash being a high reflex and pace sport, stamina and agility plays an important factor in physical benefits,” he added.
Thomas, who came to Oman in 2012, said that he loved the country from the first day.
“Having played before, I decided to start playing squash again at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. My father used to play in India at a senior level and take me along initially to watch his game and build the interest of the sport, slowly he started training me and taught me the basics of squash,” detailed Thomas, who picked up his racquet at a very tender age.
“I first picked up the racquet at age 10, a wooden one, and now even after 25 years I still love the game. I participated at a few local tournaments throughout my early years in India and was able to raise my level of game as I grew older,” he said about his first step.
When asked about the renewed interest in Oman, Thomas said: “Definitely, when we started playing at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, there were only a few players. We started spreading the word through our contacts and soon we had a pool of 20 to 30 players from different nationalities. After we completed the first local tournament many national youngsters have picked up racquets and started playing.
“The level of professionalism is very high at the senior level and they are very committed to the sport, they are very keen to see the growth of squash and have high hopes on the next generation.
“With a proper recognised association or federation up and with the help of trained coaches, things can improve further and maybe in the future we will have an Oman Squash World Champion one day.
On support from Ministry of Sports Affairs, he said: “The ministry has already started to encourage by conducting a Oman squash tournament for the local players which was a very positive step in the right direction.
“The game needs to be spread to schools more and may be have more squash courts and introduce the game in sports curriculum. Also setting up a training module for different age groups and monitoring their growth is vital. Squash is a game which can be played all year, many residential buildings and hotels have started building squash courts as fitness centre since it is a sport not affected by the weather,” said Thomas.
On the Muscat League, Thomas detailed that the League in Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex started with a few players coming together and it is held every month.
“Now more and more local players have joined and the League is getting stronger. Being from different countries, we each have a different style of game. For example the Europeans players were better at playing the straight power game down the line, while the Asians were better at the boast and drop game. Having a mix of players allowed all of us to learn from each other.”
He went on to say that to develop young players, all of us put together with the help of Sports Ministry must introduce a 2-3 day coaching session at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.
“Once we have identified the young players, their growth and training modules have to be charted out separately, as each player have their own physical strength and weakness,” said Thomas.
“The next step would be to conduct tournaments at schools and colleges to promote the sport. Seeing their classmates play can be an inspirational factor for other youngsters.”
Highlighting further he said: “The plan of the Ministry of Sports Affairs is to hold frequent tournaments in all parts of the country. The sport needs to spread out and this will help in unearthing a national hero.”
On his personal front, Thomas said, other than squash he plays football to build stamina. “At the same time I utilise my spare time to impart my knowledge on squash to the upcoming youngsters.”
As a concluding message, Thomas said: “I truly believe, Oman youngsters have great stamina and a strong desire to excel in sports. They are highly motivated to represent their country internationally in every sport. Squash is definitely a sport in which they can excel and bring glory and medals to their country.”