Bahrain to get world-class Aquatics sports centre

TDT | Manama                                                     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A world-class centre for aquatics sports is set to be built in Bahrain. The groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held yesterday under the patronage of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority president and Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) chief His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

It is to be constructed at University of Technology Bahrain by World Aquatics—the international governing body of sports such as swimming, diving, water polo, and others—and the BOC, in partnership with GFH Financial Group (GFH) and the Bahrain Swimming Association.

HH Shaikh Khalid attended yesterday’s ceremony, along with GFH Financial Group board member and CEO Hisham Alrayes; World Aquatics president, Olympic Council of Asia director general, and Kuwait Olympic Committee secretary general Captain Husain Al Musallam; and other high-ranking officials.

HH Shaikh Khalid said that yesterday’s groundbreaking ceremony has brought Bahrain a step closer to establishing a global centre for aquatic sports in the Kingdom. He added that the project will help enhance aquatics across the region, and add another important dimension to the nation’s position as a leading sporting destination.

HH Shaikh Khalid further underlined the importance of the centre for the swimming community in the Kingdom, and said that it is one of the most successful sports projects held in partnership with the private sector.

HH Shaikh Khalid also stressed the BOC’s keenness to strengthen the partnership with World Aquatics, in cooperation with the GFH Group, to make Bahrain a centre for developing various aquatic sports.

The centre is the first of its kind in the Middle East and will join a network of existing centres in France, Hungary, Canada, the US, Thailand and Australia. It will provide modern facilities ideal for world-class training and modern sports science. One of the most important elements of the project is the construction of two swimming pools, one with a length of 50 metres and the other for diving with a depth of five metres, both of which will be built according to Olympic specifications.

There will also be 1,000 seats for spectators during competitions being hosted in Bahrain in the future. In addition, there are integrated facilities for training and sports science, accommodation, restaurants, and retail units, all of which will enhance the spirit of community belonging.