Muscat—- The Fifth World Military Beach Volleyball Championship for 2026 burst into life yesterday at the indoor hall of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher. Hosted by the Ministry of Defence, represented by the Chief of Staff of the Sultan's Armed Forces, the tournament runs from 15 to 22 October and features eight men's teams and six women's teams from across the globe.
The opening ceremony was held under the patronage of Brigadier Khalid bin Ali Al Muqbali, Director General of Military Sports at the Chief of Staff of the Sultan's Armed Forces, in the presence of Colonel Dirk Schevede, representative of the International Military Sports Council (CISM), alongside a host of senior commanders and officers, representatives of military sports federations, and heads of participating delegations.
The ceremony got under way with the entry and lining up of the participating teams to the accompaniment of military music, followed by the raising of the flag of the Sultanate of Oman and the flag of the International Military Sports Council (CISM), and the performance of the military salute by the sports teams.
Brigadier Khalid bin Ali Al Muqbali, Director General of Military Sports, delivered a speech in which he welcomed the representatives of the International Military Sports Council (CISM), the heads of delegations, and the participating athletes, expressing the Sultanate of Oman's pride and honour in hosting this global gathering on its good land, whose spirit is a byword for beauty and peace.
In his address, he said: "We meet here today not merely to compete on the sand, but to celebrate an important truth — that sport builds bridges. We know that true strength lies in the sustainability of love, friendship, and peace, all of which contribute to building a shared future rooted in mutual respect and harmony. Let this championship stand as proof that soldiers are the truest ambassadors of peace."
Thereafter, the representative of the International Military Sports Council conferred upon Brigadier Khalid bin Ali Al Muqbali, Director General of Military Sports, the Order of the Grand Knight.
Colonel Dirk Schevede, representative of the International Military Sports Council (CISM), then took to the podium, praising the tremendous efforts exerted by the competent military sports authorities in the Sultanate of Oman to ensure the success and distinction of the championship. He affirmed that the preparations and arrangements he had witnessed reflected the scale of diligent work and high professionalism that would make the championship's launch a byword for success.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the patron of the event declared the championship officially open.
The championship, whose competitions will be staged on the sand courts of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher, will see eight men's teams battling it out, with the Sultanate of Oman fielding two teams, while Algeria, Germany, Brazil, France, the Netherlands, Qatar, and Sri Lanka will each field one team.
In the women's category, six countries will participate with one team each: the Sultanate of Oman, Algeria, France, Germany, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands.
According to the championship format, the men's teams have been split into two groups — one comprising four teams and the other five — playing a single round-robin system, followed by the quarter-finals, then the semi-finals for the winning teams, where the two winners will meet in the final, while the two losers will play off for third and fourth places. The teams eliminated in the quarter-finals will compete to determine the rankings from fifth to eighth.
In the women's championship, the teams have been divided into two groups of three teams each, playing a single round-robin system leading to the semi-finals, with the winning teams advancing to the final and the losing teams playing off for third and fourth places.
The official competition matches will get under way at 5 p.m. on Saturday, with the courts hosting seven men's matches and two women's matches on the opening day.
It is worth noting that the fourth edition of the championship, held in Sri Lanka, saw the Sri Lankan men's team clinch the title, with France finishing second, Germany third, and the Sultanate of Oman fourth. In the women's competition, France was crowned champion, while Sri Lanka took both second and third places.
The Sultanate of Oman's hosting of this championship comes within the framework of its enduring commitment to enhancing military sports cooperation and embracing international sports tournaments and forums that contribute to raising the levels of sporting competition, deepening the bonds of friendship, and exchanging expertise among the armed forces of various countries around the world.