Bahrain’s largest delegation for Asian Games set

TDT | Manama    

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain will be sending its largest-ever contingent to the 19th Asian Games, starting later this month in Hangzhou, China.

This was revealed yesterday by the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC), who stated that there will be 248 male and female athletes flying the Kingdom’s flag in the multi-sport event, taking place 23 September to 8 October.

The nationals will be competing in 18 sports, including athletics, handball, boxing, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, rowing, shooting, cycling, table tennis, taekwondo, sailing, basketball, football, volleyball, E-sports and cricket.

There were hoped to be 19 sports, but Bahrain’s participation in equestrian has not pushed through.

Bahrain’s delegation at the Hangzhou Asiad will be headed by BOC vice-president His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa.

BOC secretary general Faris Al Kooehji is the deputy head of the delegation.

Ahmed Abdulghaffar is the Chef de Mission, Fajr Jassim Hassan is the Deputy Chef de Mission, while the administrative team includes BOC technical manager Lounes Madene, Maryam Mardana and Hassan Abdulrahim.

This year’s Asiad will mark the 13th Asian Games Bahrain is taking part in. Bahraini sportsmen and women had also participated in 1974 in Tehran, in 1978 in Bangkok, in 1982 in New Delhi, in 1986 in Seoul, in 1990 in Beijing, in 1994 in Hiroshima, in 1998 in Bangkok, in 2002 in Busan, in 2006 in Doha, in 2010 in Guangzhou, in 2014 in Incheon and in 2018 in Jakarta/Palembang. Bahrain is hopeful for a record-breaking campaign in Hangzhou and for exceeding their medal tallies from the last two editions of the Asian Games.

The nationals brought home 19 medals from the 2014 event in Incheon, South Korea, including nine gold, six silver and four bronze; before coming away with 24 medals in 2018 in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia, including 10 gold, eight silver and six bronze medals.