7/30/2019 GREEN MOVES

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/green-moves 1/1

16

OMAN OMANVOL ISSUE / MARCH ,

,

GREENMOVES

,

VOL ISSUE / MARCH ,

It was a pleasant Tuesday evening when the sun was aboutto dip over the horizon and the sliver o a moon emerged inthe azure sky revealing the beauty o the symmetrically ar-ranged, magnicent dunes at the Al Mouj Gol Course…Butsix women, committed to a new goal, still moved around the

greens! Nabil Al Jahadhmy drove the ball straight to the bunker,Sabah Salim Al Harthy polished her putting prowess, Talha AlSaid once again tested her perect grip on the Club, while Hajer,Aseel Hassan and Elham Ali attentively listened to the tips romthe coach, all under the bright articial lights that outshone themajestic moon light. They hail rom dierent walks o lives (stu-dents, teachers, housewives, top executives o major businesshouses) but they all share a common passion or, according tothem, the ‘beautiul game that is well-suited or ladies’.

It had been an unimaginable proposition a couple o monthsago. Some o them had no other option but to watch Tiger Woodsand other legends in action on their television sets at the insist-ence o their kith and kin. They only saw the vast swathes o thegreen. They neither knew the rules nor etiquette o the game,though some o them knew the game’s movers and shakers,thanks to the spoon-eeding rom their gol-mad colleagues.

Some o them were not even ready to try their hands in a ‘dullgame’but were subsequently pushed to play it when the entireamily began to ock to t he gol courses with their heavy baggage.But the lives o some 18 women in Muscat have now undergone asea change ater they enrolled in the ambitious ladies training pro-gramme, launched by the Oman Gol Committee (OGC) with the

support rom Oman Gas Corporation, and began learning the trickso the trade. The programme, rst o its kind in any o the GCCcountry, aims to inculcate a passion or gol among the women.

Now, gol has become an avenue or relaxation or some, whileothers nd it as way to overcome the mental atigue ater a hecticday’s work in ofce. But they unanimously agree that it is an idealsport or women.

“Women do not have to compromise on their religious believeswhile playing gol. We can wear the Hijab. No one will come inclose contact with us d uring the game,”says Sabah, a housewie.

“I’ve never been to a gol course beore joining or training.Now I am enjoying the game, thanks to the guidance rom the ex-pert coaches. I am making slow progress, but I am sure that I willget there,”says Nabila, Personal Assistant to the Chie ExecutiveOfcer, Qalhat LNG.

 Talha Al Said, Group Executive Director, IBD Group opens up hermind: “I come here every Thursday between 11 am and 12 noon. It

Well suited for ladies

Nabila Al JahadhmyPe rson a l Assist a n t , CE O ,

Qalhat LNG

I like putting and chipping,and I have to improve mydriving skills. I will con-tinue the training as wantedto learn more. I possible, Iwould like to participate incompetitions too.

 Talha Al Sa idGroup Executive Director,

IBD Group

One has to learn a lot andshould be committed. Forexample, i you want to hitthe ball perectly, your pos-ture and the grip on the clubshould be proper. So I amtaking it as a challenge.

Sabah Salim Al HarthyH ou se w if e

Gol is well-suited or ladieswhere they do not have toshed their religious belies.It is not a tough game and Ind it as an avenue to relaxmysel and socialise.

Hajer Salim Al HarthyS t u de n t , H igh e r Col le ge

of T e ch n ology

I am enjoying it very muchand since my mother, atherand brothers are all intogol, which is a topic o discussion at our home.

Aseel HassanStrategic finance manager,

Qalhat LNG

I enjoy putting, which isa sport with an aim to dosomething. One shouldhave the ocus to success-ully do it.

Elh Tea

Myandageup

Swinging a golf club is a good work out,

some may exhort. Spending long hours

in the fairways and greens is a good

relaxation method, others may argue. But

in the case of 18 women in Muscat, the

game has brought about huge changes in

their lives, T A Ameerudheen discovers

never aected my work schedule and amily lie. Though I havea busy schedule in ofce, I am not stressed out. But gol gives mean opportunity to meet people, talk to them, socialize, get reshair, set ocus and learn dierent things. I have been nurturingthe ambition to learn the nuances o the game or long. WhenOman Gol Committee decided to launch this programme I wasthe rst one to pounce on the opportunity”

For Sabah, gol was not something strange. She hails rom aamily ull o golers, but the game never caught her imagina-tion. “The training, however, changed my outlook. Now I re-alise that it is a cool game, and denitely better than ootball,”she says. She eels that the sport will become popular in Omanin a couple o years. “We have got some o the best gol coursesin the world. This will appeal to the local population and I amsure more and more men and women will learn the game.”

O late, she began ollowing the developments in the golngworld too. “Tiger Woods is my avourite. He might have lostthe World No. 1 ranking, but I want him to ascend the peak once again. I wish I could meet him one day.”

For Aseel Hassan, Strategic Finance Manager, Qalhat LNG,the one-hour break every week gives an opportunity to getaway rom everything. “I eel great while spending one hourin the greens.”And, Elham Ali rom Bahrain, who has beenworking as a teacher in Muscat or quite some time, echoesthe same views. “I am ready to spend extra hours at the course.For, I know gol is all about perseverance and commitment.”

The beginning The Oman Gol Committee needs ull praise or kick-start-ing such a programme, but the OGC ofcials say the womenshould be hailed or mooting the idea. “We have implementeda valuable suggestion put orth by some o the women,”saidOGC vice-chairman Salim Al Harthy.” Coach Chris Jonesadds, “it is a pleasure to work with this enthusiastic group o ladies. Everybody is giving her 100 per cent and it is hearten-ing to note that they are enjoying the game.”