In the Spotlight – Oman
By Ed "Hazukashii" Howell
26 Feb 2020
Hashing in the Middle East is continuously confounded by various struggles, and failures of diplomacy that limit travel and peaceful coexistence. Additionally, sadly, Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, a long-ruling (and much loved) king of Oman passed away in January 2020, at the age of 79. In the world of hashing, Oman (like many locations in recent years) can be explained in terms of the Theory of Relativity that ends with the "big crunch." Although the presence of the hash house harriers took 38 years to reach Oman, with the forming of the Muscat H3 in 1976, it quickly branched out throughout the county.
It all began when Roger Forrest, who with the support of Peter Courtney Green, Dave 'Skid' Marks, Ron Strachan, and Johnny Johnson, founded the Muscat H3 on 26 October 1976, as documented in the hash genealogy. By 1989, the Rima H3 (1980), Thumrait H3 (1982), Fahud H3 (1983), Marmul H3 (1984), Khasab H3 (1985), Jebel H3 (1985), Wudum H3 (1989), and the Hormuz H3 (1989), had all formed. The Muscat Reunion H3 had also formed in Great Britain by John Dorr to celebrate all those hashers that had moved on from Oman.
As a matter of fact, the Muscat H3 is credited with expanding to Yemen, three clubs in Great Britain, and one club in the United Arab Emirates. These 14 offspring would only branch out to form three more clubs in the 1990s before the big crunch began. Of the 10 clubs that once set trails all over the countryside of Oman, only 1 remains with the recent merger of the last two remaining clubs (Muscat H3 and Jebel H3) to form the Oman H3. Nevertheless, based on my recent visit, I can confirm that hashing in Oman is alive and well. The countryside is an arid desert atmosphere and the trails are most excellent, and the hashers all enjoy the fun. The Oman H3 runs every Saturday, promptly at 5 PM, and can still scare up a few cold beers in the dry country of Oman.
26 Feb 2020
Hashing in the Middle East is continuously confounded by various struggles, and failures of diplomacy that limit travel and peaceful coexistence. Additionally, sadly, Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, a long-ruling (and much loved) king of Oman passed away in January 2020, at the age of 79. In the world of hashing, Oman (like many locations in recent years) can be explained in terms of the Theory of Relativity that ends with the "big crunch." Although the presence of the hash house harriers took 38 years to reach Oman, with the forming of the Muscat H3 in 1976, it quickly branched out throughout the county.
It all began when Roger Forrest, who with the support of Peter Courtney Green, Dave 'Skid' Marks, Ron Strachan, and Johnny Johnson, founded the Muscat H3 on 26 October 1976, as documented in the hash genealogy. By 1989, the Rima H3 (1980), Thumrait H3 (1982), Fahud H3 (1983), Marmul H3 (1984), Khasab H3 (1985), Jebel H3 (1985), Wudum H3 (1989), and the Hormuz H3 (1989), had all formed. The Muscat Reunion H3 had also formed in Great Britain by John Dorr to celebrate all those hashers that had moved on from Oman.
As a matter of fact, the Muscat H3 is credited with expanding to Yemen, three clubs in Great Britain, and one club in the United Arab Emirates. These 14 offspring would only branch out to form three more clubs in the 1990s before the big crunch began. Of the 10 clubs that once set trails all over the countryside of Oman, only 1 remains with the recent merger of the last two remaining clubs (Muscat H3 and Jebel H3) to form the Oman H3. Nevertheless, based on my recent visit, I can confirm that hashing in Oman is alive and well. The countryside is an arid desert atmosphere and the trails are most excellent, and the hashers all enjoy the fun. The Oman H3 runs every Saturday, promptly at 5 PM, and can still scare up a few cold beers in the dry country of Oman.
On on!