Curtain falls on Baby Olympics

Manama : The First Bahrain Baby Olympics came to a close on Wednesday in a spectacular fashion at the Bahrain Volleyball Association hall, at Isa Sports City near the National Stadium. Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) secretary general Abdulrahman Askar presented medals to all the participants at the closing ceremony, after which Morning Star Nursery pupils Lily Inserro and Maram Mandagag both put out the dedicated children torch flame to declare the Baby Olympics end, in presence of hundreds of participants and their families.

The Bahrain Sports Federation for Disabilities hosted the athletics events, which included competitions in spring run, hurdles and kids relay and were open for kindergarten children aged between 4 and 5 years. A gymnastics contest was also staged on the day at the Bahrain Table Tennis Association hall, where 3-year- old nursery kids competed it out in the free body expression.

The event which was organised by the BOC in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Labour and Social Developments, hopes to promote a culture of sport within children and develop their mental and physical abilities. Kim Ferreira, director of the Children’s House Montessori Kindergarten and the Morning Star Montessori Nursery, said she is delighted to have been invited to take part in the first edition of the Olympics, which she described as an opportunity for the children to avoid overuse of video games.

She said: “Parents, educators and children will enjoy participating in such a great event”. “It is highly valued to teach children that taking part in any sport is extremely more important than competing and winning,” noted Ferreira. Afia Naseer, a teacher at the First Step Nursery, affirmed that the Olympics is a crucial step to develop Bahrain’s children academically and educationally.

“It is indeed a proud honor to take part in such a great motivational event. Today, as research shows that the importance of physical activity in children is stronger than ever due to their profound attraction towards the new technologies and gadgets,” said Naseer. “The Bahrain Baby Olympics is certainly playing a major part in promoting the Olympic values and principles in Bahrain, and consolidates the concept of sport as a way of life.”