Bank Nizwa, Oman’s fastest growing Islamic bank, has organized a football championship geared towards financial institutions in the Sultanate. In its first edition, the Bank Nizwa Football championship saw the participation of six sides, the State General Reserve Fund (SGRF), Standard Chartered Bank, Qatar National Bank, Maisarah Islamic Banking, Bank of Baroda, and Bank Nizwa. The six teams were split into two groups of three and played against one another in the group stage. The final match saw Bank Nizwa paly SGRF for the title. The game was very competitive but neither team was able to break defenses of the other. After the final whistle, the deadlock went into a penalty shootout, which SGRF won (3:2) and was named winners of the first edition.

The spectacle was a huge success focusing on strengthening the community of financial institutions, while creating a feel-good atmosphere for them and spectators alike. Bank Nizwa, the organizers will be looking at expansion of the championship in its future editions to include more participants. Since inception, Bank Nizwa has been rooted in community engagement whether on a corporate or public level.