Wednesday 25 / December / 2024
Muscat: It was a historic moment for Al Amerat Club as they lifted the prestigious His Majesty’s Cup hockey crown on their debut at the Hockey Oman Arena on Tuesday night.
Al Amerat, which made it to the summit clash for the first time in the oldest hockey tournament, defeated Salalah Club 3-1 in the final of the 54th edition of His Majesty’s Hockey Cup. Playing in front of their own supporters in Al Amerat, the club clearly dominated the final with their attacking skills under coach Mohammed Al Darmaki.
The final was graced by His Highness Sayyid Harib Thuwaini Al Said, who later handed over the trophy in the presence of Oman Hockey Association (OHA) chairman Dr Marwan Al Juma.
Al Amerat dominated from the start and applied relentless pressure, forcing Salalah into defensive mode. In the fourth minute, Al Amerat took the lead off a penalty corner as Ahmed Al Nofli successfully sounded the boards.
Salalah tried to fight back as they earned two penalty corners in the closing moments of the first quarter, but Pakistan’s Rana Ashraf was unable to convert either.
Al Amerat’s dominance continued in the second quarter. In the first minute, Ahmed Al Ajmi’s powerful shot was saved by Salalah’s goalkeeper, but Salalah could not find an equaliser despite another penalty corner opportunity.
Al Amerat’s counter attacks remained lethal, and in the fifth minute, Hanan Shahid, also from Pakistan, extended the lead to 2-0
Al Amerat’s Egyptian player Ahmed Mohammed increased the lead with a third goal to go into the break with a healthy 3-0 margin.
Despite sustained pressure, Salalah’s efforts remained fruitless as Al Amerat’s goalkeeper Fahd Al Nofli was superb under the bar.
Salalah’s Abdulrahman Naseeb scored a consolation goal in the final seconds off a penalty corner.
Al Amerat’s title triumph earned them a cash award of OMR40,000 while Salalah took home OMR25,000 for second place. Ahli Sidab defeated Al Nasr 3-0 earlier in the evening for third place and received OMR 15,000 as bronze medal winners.
A total of 16 clubs took part in the competition this year.
Individual awards: Most Valuable Player: Maitham Al Wahaibi (Ahli-Sidab); best goalkeeper: Amjad Al Hasani (Salalah); top scorer: Mohammed Al Janaini (Al Amerat).
