Bahrain set for Ironman 70.3

TDT | Manama                 

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com 

Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the activities of Ironman 70.3 Middle East Championship Bahrain are set to kick off today on Bahrain’s soil.

In this context, His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Works and Youth Affairs, instructed for the preparation of an ideal environment for all the participants in the event in order to achieve full success for this prestigious race which is taking place for the sixth time in Bahrain.

The event will get underway with the Ironkids competition, while the main race will take place tomorrow.

The Organising Committee held a press conference at Crowne Plaza Hotel yesterday to shed light on the details of the event.

Present at the conference were Amal Al Murbati, Board Member and Managing Director of Faaliyat company, the organisers of the championship.

She was joined by three pro athletes participating in the Kingdom, namely Henri Schoeman, Vincent Luis, and the defending champion Holly Lawrence, all of whom represent Bahrain Victorious 13 team.

“We are very excited to welcome everyone back to the Kingdom following a two-year hiatus,” Al Murbati said, adding: “It’s an honour for Faaliyat to organise such an outstanding championship which has become a must-attend event on our annual sports calendar.”

Al Murbati stated: “This year’s Ironman 70.3 Middle East Championship Bahrain will have elite athletes representing 80 countries.

More than 1,200 competitors registered for the event, and this reflects the interest of triathletes to take part in the championship, which is also a perfect opportunity for us to promote Bahrain’s tourism sector among the visitors who will attend the event.”

For his part, Schoeman expressed his happiness to be back in Bahrain after participating in the first edition of the race in 2015, adding that he is relishing the opportunity to compete in this year’s swim as the first race he took part in had only two disciplines: running and cycling.

“I am very proud to represent Bahrain Victorious 13 team in this event, and I look forward to the backing of the team in this race,” Schoeman said. Luis revealed that he had taken advantage of his time in Bahrain to meet with school students and encourage them to adopt a healthy lifestyle, which is among their mission as members of the Victorious Bahrain 13 team.

Meanwhile, Lawrence expressed her pleasure in being back in Bahrain to defend her title following victories in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

“Since 2017, I come here with a different level of confidence after winning it for three consecutive years,” she said. Ironkids will kick off at 4pm today in Seef District, near City Centre Bahrain.

Gulf Air sponsors the Ironman for sixth time Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the World’s Most Improved Airline 2022, announced its sponsorship of this year’s Ironman 70.3 Middle East Championship Bahrain, in its sixth edition of the championship.

Commenting on Gulf Air’s sponsorship, Captain Waleed Al Alawi, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Air, said that the event receives great care and attention from His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and is support by the Kingdom’s leadership, headed by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.