Al-Seeb, 23 May 2026 — The Oman Fencing Committee today organised an awareness lecture entitled "The Importance of Sound Nutrition and its Role in Supporting Athletes' Health and Improving their Sporting Performance", delivered by the nutrition specialist Dr Fathiya Al Rashdi, in the presence of approximately 65 attendees from among the national-team athletes and their parents, hosted in the conference hall of the Seeb Sports Stadium.

The session forms part of the Committee's expanding programme of awareness and educational activities for its athletes during the 2026 season, and arrives one week after the national team's return from the 4th GCC Games in Doha, where the Sultanate's fencers brought home two gold and three bronze medals — a result the Committee has linked, in its post-Doha review, to the depth of preparation now being built across the national programme.

A focus on the daily habits behind elite performance

Dr Fathiya Al Rashdi walked the audience through the role of macronutrients and micronutrients in the daily routine of a competitive athlete, the windows of nutritional intake before, during and after training and competition, hydration patterns, and the common dietary habits that quietly erode performance over a season. She emphasised that an athlete's results on the strip are not built in the final week of preparation, but in the cumulative effect of months of disciplined eating, sleep, and recovery, and that the parents of junior fencers carry a substantial share of that responsibility through the household kitchen.

The lecture saw distinctive engagement and considerable interest from the audience, with athletes and parents posing questions on practical topics including pre-training meals, supplementation, weight management in growing fencers, and the management of nutrition during travel for international tournaments.

Awareness programmes as a structural investment in the national programme

In its remarks at the close of the session, the Committee underlined that activities of this nature are not occasional add-ons to the technical programme, but a structural part of the development pathway it is building for Omani fencers. Awareness lectures, technical workshops, and parent-engagement sessions are being scheduled alongside the on-strip training programme so that the educational support around each athlete grows in step with their competitive level.

The Committee also confirmed that further awareness sessions, covering sports psychology, injury prevention, and recovery protocols, are being planned across the remainder of the 2026 season at the Rustaq Athletics Preparation Centres and at the Seeb Sports Stadium.

Appreciation and acknowledgements

The Oman Fencing Committee extended its sincere thanks and appreciation to Dr Fathiya Al Rashdi for the valuable information she shared, and a certificate of appreciation was presented to her by the Committee at the close of the session. Thanks were also extended to all athletes and parents for their attendance and keenness to benefit from these purposeful awareness programmes, and to the management of the Seeb Sports Stadium for hosting the lecture.

The Committee further extended its appreciation to its strategic partner Sohar International, whose continued support has enabled the national programme to develop the educational and awareness pillar of its 2026 calendar alongside the technical and competitive pillars.