Five Omani Sailors Set for 2026 Optimist World Championship in Morocco

Muscat: Five sailors from the Sultanate of Oman are preparing to compete in the 2026 Optimist World Championship, which will be held in Tangier, Kingdom of Morocco, from 18 to 28 June, with the participation of 292 sailors representing more than 72 countries.

The Optimist World Championship is regarded as one of the most prominent international sailing events for young athletes and serves as a platform for identifying and developing future sailing talents. Over the years, the championship has featured many sailors who later became world and Olympic champions.

Oman will be represented by sailors Mohammed bin Sulaiman Al Balushi, Khalid bin Yahya Al Suraihi, Mohammed bin Nabil Al Balushi, Mohammed bin Ziyad Al Qasimi, and Mohammed bin Saeed Al Qurtubi, under the supervision of coach Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Zadjali.

Among the team members, Mohammed bin Sulaiman Al Balushi won the bronze medal in the Optimist Under-11 category at the 2026 Arab Sailing Championship, while Khalid bin Yahya Al Suraihi secured the silver medal in the overall Optimist category at the same event.

Nawaf bin Yaqoub Al Ghadani, Vice President of Sailing Schools and Head of the Omani delegation, said that the championship represents an important stage in the development of young sailors due to the high level of international competition it offers.

He noted that the team completed an integrated preparation programme focused on technical, physical and mental development, expressing confidence that the sailors will deliver performances that reflect the progress achieved by Omani sailing in recent years.

Official races are scheduled to begin on 20 June and continue until 27 June, with competitors contesting a total of 12 races throughout the championship.

The participation forms part of Oman Sail’s wider youth development programme. Following the championship, the sailors will continue their preparations through a five-week summer training camp in Ras Al Hadd, which brings together several national sailing teams.

The team is also scheduled to compete in the 2026 Optimist European Championship in Gdynia, Poland, next July, before taking part in the Oman Sailing Championship in August.

Preparations will continue during the second half of the season with the hosting of the 15th Al Musannah Sailing Week and the third Arab Girls Sailing Championship at Al Musannah Sailing School.