Muscat: The 18th Women’s Bowling Championship 2026 is underway at Fun Zone Hall in Muscat Governorate, with 26 teams and 156 players competing across a series of events until September 30.

Organised by the Women’s Sports Department at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth in cooperation with the Oman Bowling Committee, the championship is being officiated by five referees.

The competition began with the team qualifiers on September 20 and 21, followed by the singles event on September 22 and 23. The doubles competition will take place on September 27 and 28, followed by the Masters event on September 29. The championship will conclude on September 30 with the team final and crowning ceremony.

The tournament aims to strengthen women’s participation in sports while creating a platform for female employees from government and private institutions to compete, interact and build stronger team spirit.

Dr. Aziza bint Saud Al Adhoubi, Head of the Qurm Nature Reserve Centre at the Environment Authority, described her participation as an enriching experience and praised the tournament’s organisation, registration procedures, logistical arrangements and the responsiveness of the support team.

She said the championship went beyond competition by providing participants from different organisations and backgrounds with an opportunity to connect. She highlighted the atmosphere of encouragement, enthusiasm and sportsmanship, adding that she looked forward to taking part in future editions.

Sarah Al Balushi, a renewable energy studies engineer at the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, said the ministry was participating in the tournament with a women’s team for the first time.

She said the initiative reflected the ministry’s efforts to encourage female employees to participate in sporting activities and promote teamwork. Her participation in the team qualifiers, she added, offered an opportunity to interact with other teams and gain a new sporting experience while strengthening cooperation among colleagues.

Al Balushi said achieving one of the higher results within the ministry’s team had also motivated her to continue practising sports and participating in similar events.

For Alia Al Marjabi, a planning specialist at Occidental Oman, the championship marked her third participation. She said she continued to return because of the tournament’s competitive yet interactive atmosphere.

Al Marjabi praised the positive energy and sportsmanship at the event, saying that meeting participants from different teams helped build new friendships and enabled competitors to exchange experiences.

Mona bint Hamoud Al Rashidiya, Head of the Training Department at the Consumer Protection Authority, said the championship had been a valuable sporting and personal experience that helped develop her skills, build confidence and expose her to new experiences through competition.

She also praised the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for organising the championship and stressed the importance of providing similar sporting opportunities for female employees to encourage active lifestyles, communication and teamwork.

Participating institutions include Awasr, OQ8, Royal Court Affairs, Mohammed Al Barwani Company, Sohar International Bank, Petroleum Development Oman, Occidental Oman, Al Maha Petroleum Products Marketing Company, the Environment Authority, Rehal, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, the State Financial and Administrative Audit Institution, United Engineering Services Company, the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, Omantel, Shell Oman Marketing Company, the Consumer Protection Authority, Muscat Municipality, PetroGas and the Ministry of Finance.