Oman still on track for 2010 Asian Beach Games - official

GAMES PLEDGE: Oman is still on track with plans to build an athlete's village for the 2010 Asian Beach Games, a senior official has said.

Oman is on track with its ambitious plans to host the 2010 Asian Beach Games, a senior official has said.

Habib bin Abdulnabi Macki, vice-chairman of Oman Olympic Committee and the director of Muscat Asian Beach Games Organising Committee (MABGOC) dismissed concerns that construction of the huge sports village consisting of an athletes village, the main press centre, a four-star hotel, a 400-berth marina with restaurants and shops would not be ready in time.

“There is no need to panic. At the moment work is going on really well and it will be completed as scheduled in June next year,” he said in comments published by the Times of Oman on Thursday.

Macki added that Omran, the company in charge of the project, was doing all it could to complete the sports village.

“There shouldn’t be a delay whatsoever because Omran is doing a fantastic job to complete the work on time and there is no reason or excuse for postponing the event,” he told the paper.

He said that there will be a soft opening of facilities in July 2010, followed by a test run prior to the official opening in October. The games will be held from December 8-16 next year.

The Musanna’ah sports village is spread over an area of approximately one million square metres and will house 5,000 athletes, 500 local and international media, officials and organisers.

“The Sultanate is extremely proud to be given the opportunity to host this mega event and we will organise in the best possible way we can,” said Macki.

There will be 11 sports disciplines that will be played over the week: beach football, beach handball, beach volleyball, beach sepak takraw, beach kabbadi, jet ski, sailing, marathon swimming, triathlon, body building and woodball. Muscat and Musana’ah will share the sporting events.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Go Oman
Posted by jesus on Friday 21 August 2009 at 11:39 UAE time


More power to Oman. We like Oman and Omanis.

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