Tuesday 18 / November / 2025
MUSCAT - Oman's ace sprinter Ali Anwar Ali Al Balushi scripted a golden chapter in Oman's sports history when the 23-year-old won the gold medal in the men's 100m event at the Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 currently being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday night.
Al Balushi claimed the gold with a winning time of 10.30 seconds in a tightly contested final. Abdulaziz Atafi of Saudi Arabia took the silver medal, while Eseme Emmanuel of Cameroon earned the bronze, with both athletes clocking 10.32 seconds.
This was Oman’s first gold medal at the ongoing Islamic Solidarity Games and the third overall in this edition. Weightlifter Amer Al Khanjari had earlier won a silver and a bronze medal.
This victory marks Al Balushi's first gold medal of 2025, following his success in the 60m race at the 2024 Asian Indoor Championships.
In the previous edition held in Konya, Turkiye, in 2022, Oman's Fatek bin Abdul Ghafour Jaboob won gold in the high jump, while the national relay team claimed a bronze medal in the men’s 4X100m relay. Oman’s top sprinter Barakat Al Harthi had won bronze in the men’s 100m in Konya
Al Balushi has now bettered Al Harthi's achievement in the 100m sprint race, and has been crowned the fastest athlete at the Islamic Solidarity Games 2025, delivering a perfect National Day gift to the nation.
