First ever GCC Sports Day approved for 2017

Manama : The first-ever GCC Sports Day has been approved for 2017, the Executive Office of GCC National Olympic Committees’ Presidents announced yesterday at the 86th meeting of the Executive Office of their Highnesses and Excellencies Presidents of GCC National Olympic Committees taking place in Dubai.

The date for the day-long event is yet to be finalised, while a recommendation to hold the first GCC Youth Games between September 15 to 21, 2016 will be handed over to the National Olympic Committees’ Presidents board for approval.

Executive Office members also extended its full support to Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa to run for the FIFA presidency, wishing him success in the elections taking place on February 26 at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.

Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) general secretary Abdulrahman Askar headed Bahrain’s delegation to the meeting, which also brought up a number of key subjects related to sports in the GCC region.

The BOC was requested to prepare study for the vision of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, aimed at expanding awareness among people of the GCC on the importance of voluntary work.

A sports dispute committee, an initiative of representative of His Majesty the King for Charity Work and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, and BOC President Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, has presented its most recent efforts to deal with sports disputes in the GCC.

The office also approved the foundation of the GCC Badminton Organising Committee, to be based in Saudi Arabia, and decided to bring up the total prize awards to BD100,000 for different sports competitions organised in the GCC.

The regulations of sports games and beach games, in addition to the mechanism of approving sports games organising committees plans, a cooperation project with the kingdoms of Jordan and Morocco.