Ibtisam Al Salmi (left), and Basma Al Nofali members of the Al-Thuraya Bank Muscat all-female sailing team from Oman.
Doha: Al-Thuraya Bank Muscat all-female crew taking part in the challenging EFG Bank Sailing Arabia The Tour will inspire more girls from the region to take up the sports, says the team skipper Dee Caffari.
Caffari, who has sailed single-handed and non-stop around the world in both directions, said the six Omani girls on the all-female team are role models for many in the region.
“The girls are role models not just for their generations, but for generations to come, they might not realise it now, but in the years to come their role will be much talked about,” said the British yachtswoman while talking to The Peninsula here yesterday.
Al-Thuraya Bank Muscat is the only all-female team competing in the 15-day race.
Nine teams are competing in a race between Bahrain and Muscat, which kicked off on February 10 in Manama.
Al-Thuraya Bank Muscat team is part of Oman Sail. Established in 2008, the national initiative aims to contribute to the development of Oman and Omanis through the sport. Ibtisam Al Salmi, one of the member of the team, said the all-female crew have been motivating a large number of students to join the numerous sailing programmes initiated by Oman Sail.
Rashid Ibrahim Al Kindi, National Sailing Team Manager said the sailing programmes for young Omani men and women has been inspiring a new generation to discover sailing.
“The programme pledges to teach 30,000 Omani children to sail by 2015 at seven sailing schools to be built along the coast,” Al Kindi said.
“The goal is to rekindle Oman’s maritime heritage while raising the country’s regional and international profile as a high-end tourist and foreign investment destination, through competitive sailing at home and abroad,” added Al Kindi, who represented Oman in athletics.
The Peninsula
