Bahrain riders, swimmers set for Arab Games

TDT | Manama                                                

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com     

Bahrain have confirmed their cycling and swimming teams that will be going for gold at the upcoming 15th Arab Games in Algeria.

The six-member cycling squad is set to be spearheaded by Team Bahrain Victorious’ UCI World Tour rider Ahmed Madan.

He will be joined in flying the Kingdom’s flag by teammates Ahmed Naser, Mansoor Jawad, Sayed Ahmed Alawi, Husain Ali and Jasim Husain.

The Bahrainis will be competing in three road cycling events at the Arab Games.

All six will be vying for medals in the men’s road race, while Madan and Naser will both be competing in the men’s individual time trial.

Madan and Naser will then be joined by Jawad and Alawi in the men’s team time trial.

Meanwhile, four swimmers have been named to the Kingdom’s swimming team at the Arab Games.

They include Amani Al Obaidli and Noor Taha, who will be contesting the women’s events; and Saud Salah and Ahmed Abdulnabi, who will be participating amongst the men.

The swimmers’ events at the Arab Games have yet to be announced.

They are to be coached at the Arab Games by Abdulla Shamsan.

Meanwhile, Bahrain team director Noman Al Hassan attended the first meeting of the organising committee with delegation heads.

Cycling and swimming are two of the eight sports that the Kingdom’s national teams will be vying for medals in at the Arab Games.

The others include athletics, weightlifting, badminton, table tennis, sailing, swimming and athletics for people of determination.

Bahrain was also set to take part in wheelchair basketball, but have withdrawn, the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) has confirmed.

This year’s Arab Games will be held under the theme “With sports we progress and compete, in Algeria we meet”, and it will feature around 6,000 athletes from the 18 competing Arab countries.

There are 23 sports in all at the Arab Games, including three for people of determination, across 245 events.

The action is to be held across five Algerian cities, namely Algiers, Oran, Tipasa, Constantine, and Annaba.

The tournament is being held under the supervision of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees, with the aim of cementing the unity of Arab youth, strengthening friendship among Arab people, and reinforcing the principles of the Arab Olympic Movement.

The last time the Arab Games took place was in 2011 in Doha, when Bahrain captured 37 medals, including 12 gold, 10 silver and 15 bronze, according to the BOC.

Bahrain also took part in the 2007, 2004, 1999, 1992, 1985 and 1976 editions of the Arab Games.

The first-ever Arab Games took place in 1953, and was originally being held every four years, but due to various circumstances, there have been lengthy gaps between editions