Tuesday 22 / September / 2026
MUSCAT: Oman’s young fencers made an encouraging impression on their Asian Games debut before seeing their campaigns end in the last 16 round on Tuesday, with Ahmed Anwar Kaskas and 15-year-old Janna Al Sharji emerging as the standout performers on an eventful opening day at the Aichi-Nagoya Games 2026.
Competing against some of Asia’s most accomplished fencers, Kaskas advanced from the men’s foil group stage before bowing out in the round of 16, while Janna also progressed from the women’s épée pools to reach the same stage.
Their performances offered a glimpse of the potential within Oman’s young fencing programme, despite both facing highly experienced opposition in the knockout rounds.
Kaskas negotiated a demanding group stage to secure his place in the last 16 after defeating Pakistan’s Mohammad Yasin Khan. He then faced China’s Ji Xiu, bringing his debut campaign to an end.
Janna produced an equally promising performance in the women’s épée. The teenager recorded two victories in the group stage to qualify for the knockout phase before losing to South Korea’s Lim Tae-hee. Her progress was particularly notable given her age and the quality of the field.
Among her group-stage opponents was South Korea’s Sera Song, a former world champion.
“I expected the competition to be very strong because this tournament brings together some of the best fencers in the world,” Janna said after her opening-day campaign.
“Personally, I had great confidence in my ability, so I expected to reach this stage, although I was hoping to go further.”
The teenager said the experience of competing against some of the continent’s leading fencers would prove invaluable as she develops.
“Reaching the last 16 is an additional motivation for me to continue working hard and developing my technical skills,” she said.
Oman coach Hisham bin Ali Karshoud was encouraged by what he saw from his young charges, stressing that the competition represented an important step in their development at senior level.
“Our players produced honourable and promising performances, particularly considering their young age and the fact that this was one of their first experiences in a major senior-level competition,” Karshoud said.
He highlighted Kaskas’ progress in the men’s foil, where he advanced from the pools before facing a Chinese opponent ranked seventh in the world.
“Despite the difficulty of the match, Ahmed showed fighting spirit and a good level that we can build on for the future,” the coach said.
Karshoud also praised Janna’s performance, pointing to her two group-stage victories before she faced a Korean opponent ranked third in the world.
“Despite the loss, her level was positive and confirms that she has a promising future,” he said.
Kaskas, meanwhile, described the experience as a major learning opportunity for Oman’s first-time Asian Games fencers.
“As this was our first participation, we did not expect such a high level of competition,” he said. “The group stage was extremely difficult, with every player seeking to demonstrate their strength, skill and technical ability.”
With many of the competitors boasting world, Olympic and Asian Games experience, Kaskas believes the lessons gained in Nagoya will help Oman’s young fencers take another step forward.
The day also saw Saeed Al Shuaibi and Salma Al Dughaishi exit in the group stage, while Janna and Kaskas carried Oman’s challenge into the knockout rounds.
Hockey team suffer second defeat in a row
Elsewhere, Oman’s hockey team suffered its second consecutive defeat, going down 7-0 to Malaysia at the Gifu Hockey Stadium.
Malaysia controlled the contest from the opening quarter, leading 1-0 before adding three goals in the second period.
They scored once more in the third before completing the victory with two goals in the final quarter.
Oman will look to respond when they face Uzbekistan in their third match on Thursday at 10am Muscat time.
Shooting pair finish sixth
In the 10m mixed shooting qualification, Oman’s Al Anoud Al Khalili and Khalid Al Kalbani finished sixth among 17 teams with a score of 628.3 points.
Only the top four — China, India, South Korea and Japan — advanced to the medal stage.
Meanwhile, Oman’s beach volleyball ‘B’ pairing of Ahmed Al Hosni and Khalfan Al Maamari will seek their first victory in their second match when they take on Iran after opening their campaign with a defeat against Thailand.
