Bahrain to host biggest school sport event in Middle East

TDT | Manama    

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The International School Sports Federation (ISF) Gymnasiade 2024, which is set to be held in Bahrain next October, will be more than just a sporting event.

It will also be an opportunity for education and cultural exchange between young people from all over the world.

In an interview with The Daily Tribune, ISF President Laurent Petrynka highlighted the event's uniqueness, saying, “This is not just about sport; it is also about education and cultural exchanges between young generations from all around the globe.”

Petrynka also expressed his gratitude to Bahrain for taking the lead in hosting the event in the Middle East.

He said, “We are very committed to this region, and we are grateful that Bahrain has taken the lead in the Premier, the biggest school sports event worldwide in the Middle East.”

The ISF Gymnasiade 2024 project has completed 80% of its workload, one year before the event is set to take place.

The progress was revealed at a press conference held yesterday at the American University Auditorium in Bahrain.

The progress report was presented by Ishaq Abdullah Ishaq, Chairman of the Executive LOC for ISF Gymnasiade 2024, to the ministerial and other international officials present at the event.

“Today is an important day for us, and you can witness how fast we are working towards meeting the demand.

Now we have only one year, and the countdown starts today," he said.

Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, Cabinet Affairs Ministry Under-Secretary and Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) vice president told The Daily Tribune that “we are moving in the right direction, and this event is significant to keep Bahrain on the sports destination map.”

Throughout ISF’s 50 years of operation, it has had a clear mission to extend education through sport to support both the physical and mental health of the young generation.

ISF’s partnership with governments, schools, and sports federations worldwide has been critical to the success of the mission and ISF events throughout history.

The ISF Gymnasiade is the world’s largest school sports event, with over 5,000 students from more than 80 countries participating in 25 different sports.

The event will be held in Bahrain from October 23–31, 2024.