Recap of our first days in beautiful Oman hosted by Dhofar Municipality
An update of our visit to the lovely Dhofar region in Oman! Last Monday, Life After Football departed in exclusive company to the Middle East for the Footgolf event. We would like to thank the Dhofar Municipality, especially chairman Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghassani, for their invitation and making this wonderful trip possible. Among the guests were former internationals Dirk Kuyt, Ron Vlaar, André Ooijer, Mario Been, Maarten Stekelenburg and Eljero Elia, and of course Life After Football’s anchorman Regi Blinker.
Our arrival in Salalah
After the flight and a beautiful drive through the desert, we arrived with sunrise at the wonderful Alila Hinu Bay in Salalah, our exclusive, gorgeous stay for our period in the Dhofar region. Here we received a very warm welcome and were provided with all the luxury and comforts.
The beauty of Dhofar
On our first day in Salalah, we went on an excursion through the Dhofar region to the historic ruins of Sumhuram and the eye-popping valley of Wadi Darbat. It is clear why the archaeological park of Sumharam is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ancient port city has its origins in the 4th century BC, making it one of Oman’s oldest settlements. The Wadi Darbat valley is an idyllic picture with views over the Arabian Gulf, waterfalls, caves, lakes and rivers. Truly unique nature and absolutely worth a visit.
Clinic with local youth
We ended the day with a clinic for the local youth in collaboration with Petrogas. This was a great opportunity to hand over the signed shirts, balls and caps. The clinic was led by coaches Dirk Kuyt, Mario Been and Ron Vlaar. After which they were joined by the other players who happily kicked a ball along on the beach.
It’s time for the tournament
Today, another wonderful excursion awaited us with the Taqah Castle, Frankincense souk, the old market in Salalah, and the Al Baleed Archaeological park and museum. In addition, the Footgolf tournament takes place today at the Marcol Polo Golf Court at Crowne Plaza in Salalah. We are very curious to see who will crown themselves winners of this tournament. At least it is not due to the beautiful location or the fanaticism among the former pros…
We would like to thank the Dhofar Municipality for their hospitality and making this wonderful trip possible. We look forward to what else the coming days has to offer.
Be sure to keep following the socials of Life After Football for more visuals and updates from this amazing trip!
