The Oman national fencing team is set to compete in two prominent events in Manama, Bahrain, as part of its ongoing efforts to develop the country's presence in the sport. The team will participate in the Asian U23 Fencing Championships 2026 and the Fédération Internationale d’Escrime (FIE) Épée World Cup, both scheduled for early November at the Isa bin Rashid Arenas.
Oman will be represented by a contingent of emerging athletes, including three women—Salma al Dughaishi, Jana al Sharji, and Israa al Siyabi—who are entered in the women’s team épée competition on November 8. Al Dughaishi and Al Sharji will also compete individually in the women’s épée event on November 7, joining a competitive field of approximately 82 fencers from 14 countries.
Additional Omani fencers set to take part include men’s épée competitors Mohab al Harthi, Othman al Sharji, Ali al Nabhani, and Marwan al Hajri. The Asian U23 Championships are expected to field around 135 athletes representing 12 countries, presenting a valuable opportunity for Oman’s athletes to gain international experience and compete against established opponents from across Asia.
These events follow a period of growing momentum for Oman’s fencing program, highlighted by the national team’s debut at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya last September. That appearance marked a milestone, with Omani athletes participating in both individual foil and épée events. Ahmed Kaskas and Said al Shueibi represented the men’s foil category, while Jana al Sharji and Salma al Dughaishi competed in the women’s épée.
Kaskas delivered a standout performance by advancing to the Round of 16 after defeating Pakistan’s Mohammed Yasin Khan, before being eliminated by China’s Ji Xiu. Al Sharji also advanced to the Round of 16 in the women’s category, winning bouts against competitors from Uzbekistan and Indonesia prior to a loss against South Korea’s Lim Tae-hee. Al Dughaishi gained valuable exposure facing fencers from Singapore, Japan, Kuwait, Hong Kong, and Thailand. In the men’s foil group stage, Al Shueibi faced a challenging field including opponents from Macau, the Philippines, Singapore, Japan, and India.
Earlier in 2026, Oman’s international participation extended to the Senior World Fencing Championships held in Hong Kong in July. There, young foil fencer Ahmed Anwar Kaskas represented the Sultanate, securing a 5–2 victory over Mexico’s Maximo Murray and narrowly missing another win with a 5–4 loss to Venezuela’s Janderson Briceno. His performance underscored the growing competitive stature of Omani fencing on the world stage.
The upcoming competitions in Bahrain are part of Oman’s strategy to build experience and further advance its national fencing program through exposure to high-level regional and international competition.