Oman’s men’s national volleyball team is enjoying a landmark year.
Victory at the 2026 WAVA Men’s Volleyball Championship in Muscat delivered a major title on home soil, while the team has also climbed to 64th in the FIVB World Ranking – up from their ranking of 131st in 2020.
Together, those achievements reflect a much wider transformation taking place across volleyball in the country.
Over six years, the Oman Volleyball Association has benefited from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment funding, including both coach and equipment support. More than USD 390,000 has been invested across both volleyball and beach volleyball to help strengthen the Oman national team programmes and build sustainable development pathways.
The progress has been consistent. In volleyball, Oman stood 131st in the FIVB World Ranking at the beginning of 2020, climbed to 92nd by the end of 2022 and reached 76th by 2025. By August 2026, the team has risen to an all-time high of 64th in the world.
Oman’s rise in rankings is also a reflection of the team’s performances against some of the best teams in the world. At this month’s AVC Men’s Continental Championship 2026 in Fukuoka, Oman was the only team to win a set against the tournament’s eventual champions Japan.
Empowering the next generation
Oman’s progress extends far beyond the senior team.
A national youth volleyball programme has brought together 25 players from four youth centres across the country, creating a clearer pathway for emerging talent. The centres, established with support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, are helping identify players at an earlier stage and connect them with national team development.
“The continuous coaching support provided through the FIVB Empowerment programme has given us the expertise and direction needed to build a sustainable pathway for the future of indoor volleyball in Oman,” said Oman Volleyball Association President Eng. Ibrahim Al-Maqbali.
For youth national team player Alaa Al Buraiki, that pathway is already making an impact.
“Being selected for the Oman Youth National Volleyball Team is a big honour for me. Every day we are improving our technical skills, physical fitness and teamwork. The support we receive through the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme makes us feel that our country and the international volleyball family believe in us. I will continue to train hard and give my best for Oman.”
Historic progress on the sand
Beach volleyball is also developing alongside volleyball.
The country’s U18 beach volleyball team qualified for the FIVB U18 World Championships for the first time in Oman’s history, marking another significant step in the development of the discipline.
National beach volleyball coach Amirhossein Esmaeilzadeh has also focused on developing expertise beyond the court. Alongside his work with the national teams, he has translated more than 400 pages of FIVB beach volleyball resources into Arabic, supporting the professional development of local coaches.
U18 national team player Haytham Al Breiki said the programme had given young athletes a clearer sense of where their development could lead.
“The FIVB programme that began in 2024 has given us a real pathway to the future. Thanks to Coach Amirhossein, we now have structured training and a clear development plan that connects youth to the senior team. His work has helped us qualify for the World Championships and motivated us to push our limits every day.”
From a WAVA title and a rapid rise through the world ranking to stronger youth structures and historic progress in beach volleyball, Oman is beginning to see the results of sustained investment at multiple levels.
The achievements of 2026 are significant. But more importantly, the structures taking shape beneath them are designed to ensure Oman’s progress does not stop here.
