Bahrain attends 2016 Olympics opening ceremony

Manama : Bahrain early this morning took part in the opening ceremony of the 31st Olympic Games along with 206 nations at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The Kingdom’s flag bearer was 50 metres freestyle swimming entrant 19-year-old Farhan Saleh Farhan along fellow 50 metres freestyle swim entrant Fatema Al Mahmeed and a number of team officials. 

Previous flag bearers included female shooter Azza Alqasimi in London 2012 and female sprinter Ruqaya Al Ghasra in Beijing 2008.

The colourful opening ceremony featured dancing, fireworks, historical aspects of Brazil and a host of celebrities before the Parade of Nations, starting with Greece (home of the Olympics) and finishing with hosts Brazil, preceded by a special team of ‘Refugee’ athletes.

The bulk of Bahrain’s delegation of 36 athletes (22 men and 14 women) are expected to arrive soon with the athletics events set to start next Friday. Mahmood Ali Haji will compete in the 50 metres Shooting Rifle Prone and Adam Batirov in the Freestyle 65kg men’s Wrestling.

Bahrain with its largest ever delegation to the Games is competing for the ninth time after debuting at the 1984 edition in Los Angeles, US.

On August 11, Farhan Saleh Farhan will compete in the qualifying round of the men’s 50 metres freestyle swimming at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.

Farhan will be up against seven other swimmers from Burundi, Rwanda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Marshall Islands and Tajikistan. 

On August 12, Fatema Al Mahmeed  a 16-year-old grade 11 student at the Ibn Khuldoon National School, will compete in the women’s 50 metres freestyle swimming. 

On the same day, the 25-year old Shooter Mahmood Ali Haji will participate in the 50 metres Rifle Prone. 

Bahrain’s real medal hopes also begin on Friday, when the athletics competition gets underway with 23-year-old Abraham Rotich Kipchirchir in action in the first round of the men’s 800 metres.