Nasser bin Hamad finishes second

Abu Dhabi : HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Charity Works and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and President of Bahrain Olympic Committee finished second in his age group at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Triathlon Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

The international event witnessed a huge turnover from international professional and amateur triathletes.

HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa completed the three-stage race in 03:58:55 time. First, he finished the 1500 metre swimming race in 00:24:27, the 80-km cycling round in 02:01:31 and then he crossed the finish line after completing the 20-km race in 01:28:16 time.

The organising committee had divided the participants in accordance to age groups. The temperatures were remarkably high, especially during the afternoon hours, increasing the heat of the competition between contenders.

The championship was held at Abu Dhabi Corniche. It’s the second race of ITU’s international races in 2016 and qualifies to Rio de Janeiro Olympics that will be held in Brazil next summer. It also comes within the opening races of the international triathlon races series, which includes more than 2200 international triathletes competing in it.

HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa expressed his satisfaction of his performance in the race after competing with a large number of skilled triathletes in tough weather conditions. He said the race was an important opportunity to gain experience in this type of international competitions.

HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa noted to the successful procedures taken by the organisers, who introduced a unique triathlon championship and provided all the necessary measures to ensure the success of the race.

He lauded the Bahraini participants in the race including the National Guards Team and the energetic Bahraini individuals who competed in the race and represented the Kingdom of Bahrain. HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa added that the Bahraini youth are familiar with sports culture and are known to be sports enthusiasts. At the same time he pointed out that the sports of triathlon and endurance are becoming swiftly popular among the Bahraini youth.

Many local, regional and international media had interviewed HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa before and after the race. His opinion about the race mattered to them considering his rich experience in international triathlon and endurance championships.

Upon an invitation from Abu Dhabi Sports Council and as an appreciation to his vast efforts to improve sports in the region, HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa crowned the first three winners who are Spanish Mario Mulla (first), South African Richard Mary (second) and Portuguese Jawa Silva (third).