Bahrain athletics team begin medal hunt

TDT | Manama          

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s national athletics team got their medal bids underway today at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

The Kingdom’s delegation features 32 track and field stars, who are considered to be Bahrain’s best hopes for winning medals at this year’s Asiad. Bahrain’s athletics squad was responsible for winning all but one of the total medals at each of the previous two editions of the Asian Games in 2014 and 2018.

In 2014 in Incheon, South Korea, the Kingdom’s elite track and field talents came away with 18 of the 19 medals, including nine gold, six silver and three bronze.

Then, in 2018 in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia, Bahrain’s athletes clinched 23 of the 24 medals, with 10 gold, seven silver and six bronze medals. Going for gold today in the women’s 10,000m final at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium will be Bahrainis Violah Jepchumba and Bontu Rebitu.

Their race is scheduled for a 3.05pm start, Bahrain time. Bahrain’s Noora Salem Jasim will also be vying for a podium place in the women’s shot put final, starting at 3.45pm, Bahrain.

Meanwhile, former world champions Salwa Eid Naser and Kemi Adekoya are also set to hit the track in the women’s 400 metres. Salwa, the event’s 2019 world champion, will be running the first of three heats in the distance’s first round.

Kemi, the event’s world indoor champion in 2016, will be contesting heat two. Only the first two in each heat along with the next two fastest advance to the final. Bahrain’s Abbas Yusuf Abbas will also be in action, competing in heat one of the men’s 400m opening round.

There are three heats in all, with the first two in each and the next two fastest going through to the medal race. Others set to compete in their respective first-round heats are Edidiong Odiong, another former world champion, and fellow sprinters Hajar Alkhaldi and Saeed Alkhaldi.

Edidiong, the women’s 200m under-2 0 wo r l d champion in 2016, will be in heat one of the women’s 100m, while Hajar will be running heat two. The first two in each of the three first-round heats, along with the next two fastest, move on to the final.

Saeed will be running heat four of the men’s 100m opening phase. There are five heats in all, with the first four in each heat and the next four fastest advancing to the semi-finals.