With an aim to form a national team to represent Oman at international sailing regattas, including the 2022 Para Sailing World Championships, BP Oman, the Oman Paralympic Committee and Oman Sail have collaborated on a joint initiative titled SailFree, the GCC and MENA region’s first ever para sailing programme for people with physical impairments. They have launched a campaign to sign up people with an interest in sport to become part of the programme.
SailFree will engage men and women aged 16 to 30 to be trained at sailing schools in Al Mouj Muscat and Sur, using the highly-adaptable and specifically designed RS Venture Connect SCS sailing dinghy. The boat can be quickly configured to suit sailors with a wide range of physical impairments and has been adopted by World Sailing for the Paralympic double-handed class.
Speaking about the initiative, Ibrahim Al-Hinai, Social Investment Specialist at BP Oman, said: “We are proud to play our part in advancing the Paralympic movement in Oman through the innovative and pioneering SailFree programme.” Dr. Mansoor Al Tauqi, President of the Oman Paralympic Committee, commented: “SailFree is a fantastic opportunity for people with physical impairment to experience and enjoy the sport of sailing and expand their personal potential. The SailFree initiative offers the chance for people to build their confidence through unlocking mobility. I encourage people to sign up and enrol in the programme and look forward to seeing the results.”
Through the SailFree programme, Oman Sail is also actively supporting World Sailing’s campaign for the reintroduction of para sailing into the Paralympic Games sports programme for Los Angeles 2028. Shedding light on the collaborative initiative, David Graham, CEO of Oman Sail, said, “Oman Sail is fully supportive of World Sailing’s strategic goal to increase worldwide participation in para sailing, particularly amongst young men and women, as the provision of inclusive events increases at a national, regional and international level.
“SailFree fits these ambitions perfectly. We are extremely honoured that BP Oman has selected us to support this initiative and are equally delighted to be working alongside the Oman Paralympic Committee as we work to provide the youth of the Sultanate with these unique opportunities.”
The SailFree initiative will help talented and hopeful individuals to realise their potential and will give them an opportunity to represent Oman in para sailing events in the future.