Muscat: The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth is preparing to launch the National Programme for Identifying and Developing Talented Athletes, within the framework of a national drive aimed at strengthening the system for identifying sports talent in the Sultanate of Oman, developing their capabilities, and providing supportive pathways for their growth and continuity in the sporting field. According to Oman News Agency, the programme stems from the importance of investing in sports talent as one of the fundamental components of the future of Omani sport. It targets sports talent across all governorates of the Sultanate of Oman and promotes integration among relevant entities and institutions, including educational institutions, clubs, sports associations and committees, as well as entities and initiatives associated with the sporting field, thereby contributing to broadening the scope of reaching, identifying, and supporting talent. Basil Ahmed Al Rowas, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Sports and Youth, stated that the National Programme for Identifying and Developing Talented Athletes is one of the strategic projects of Oman Sports 2040, which dedicates efforts to investing in Omani sports talent and aims to build a comprehensive system encompassing early identification of talent, refinement of capabilities, and the provision of necessary support and care, in order to prepare generations qualified to compete with merit in sporting forums. He added: "The objectives this national programme seeks to achieve in order to nurture promising sports talent require work at all of its stages according to a participatory and integrated approach, and a clear pathway among the relevant entities - educational institutions, federations, committees, and sports clubs - and, above all, the community, as a fundamental pillar and important partner from the earliest stages of the programme's launch. In recognition of the importance of community partnership in building the identity of national pro grammes, this is an invitation to all members of society, athletes, and those interested in sporting affairs to contribute to shaping the identity of this programme by submitting their proposals for the most suitable name to express its mission and its ambitious vision for developing the Omani sporting landscape." He affirmed that the attainment of goals is realized through effective partnership and the adoption of the principle of serious national work to move from the level of studied integrated planning to the stages of implementation with efficiency and quality. He pointed out that the success of this national system is based on cooperation in a manner that serves the aspirations of Omani sport and enhances its standing both locally and internationally. The Ministry has also launched a community campaign to select a short name for the programme under the slogan "The Programme is National, and the Name We Choose Together." The Ministry invites members of society, athletes, and those interested in sportin g affairs to participate in selecting the programme's name through the dedicated electronic form and to submit their proposals for the name. The selection process focuses on names that reflect the programme's identity and national mission, and that are clear, easy to remember, and close to the community. Participation in selecting the name forms part of an approach that enables the community to be part of building the programme's identity from its inception, while also raising awareness of the importance of identifying and developing sports talent, and consolidating the concept of partnership between the relevant entities and the community in supporting sports talent. It also reflects the national dimension of the programme and the importance of community participation in choosing its identity, paving the way for a phase in which efforts to identify and develop the capabilities of talented athletes and support their journey in the Sultanate of Oman continue. This national programme is a unified national sys tem for identifying sports talent, enhancing integration between education and the sports sector, and enabling the preparation of a sporting generation capable of competing regionally and internationally. The programme passes through three distinct phases: the first phase, the near term (2025-2026), entitled Establishment and Launch; the second phase, the medium term (2026-2030), Activation and Expansion; while the third phase, the long term (2030-2035), will be entitled Empowerment and Sustainability. The project comprises a main national supervisory committee, discovery centres in the governorates, a sports discovery license programme, in addition to an external scholarship programme for outstanding athletes.