By Mark Baber
September 2 – The Oman Football Association (OFA) is to launch its first professional league, the Omantel Professional League (OPL), the with new league starting with the new season on September 13.
The new League Authority logo and competition logo were presented at a joint press conference of the OFA and Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) which is 70% owned by the Omani state.
The chairman of the Oman Football Association Sayyid Khalid Al Busaidi said: “This is an important step for football in Oman and one into which we have put lots of work. Full professionalisation will come in time, but this is one of the first steps – and the new League Authority is now up and running.
“A significant increase in revenue is required to achieve full professionalisation, and we are in discussion with the government and partners about how we can achieve that. For now, the new season will see professionalisation in the set-up, in the fixtures, in match day, in television, and in many other areas.
“Excitingly, it will also see Omani teams taking part in the Asian Champions League next March. The AFC have rubber stamped our plans for the creation of professionalisation in this way – Stage 1 is to professionalise the league and Stage 2 will be all the clubs.
“They will continue to support us as we take further steps. I would like to put on record my thanks for all those who have contributed greatly to this process, especially to Omantel who continue to be the league’s main commercial partner, and to the new commercial partners that have already joined this football evolution”
Gemes of the OPL will take place in five stadiums across Oman with tickets now OMR1 per person and a new web site and mobile app for Omani football fans will be launched in the coming days.
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