Royal Leadership praised by Minister of Interior as Bahrain ATP Challenger Open Concludes

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Manama: The fifth edition of the Bahrain Open ATP Challenger Tennis Championship concluded on Saturday at the Police Officers Club courts, in the presence of His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Minister of the Court of the Prime Minister.

His Highness was received upon arrival by Lieutenant General His Excellency Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior. The closing ceremony was also attended by senior officials, including the Advisor to His Majesty the King for Youth and Sports Affairs, the Chief of Police, the ambassadors of France and Italy to the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Vice President of the International Tennis Federation, and the President of the Bahrain Tennis Federation.

On the occasion, the Minister of Interior praised the strong and continuous royal support extended to the sports sector by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, noting that this patronage has strengthened Bahrain’s international standing as a capable host of major sporting events and has enhanced the Kingdom’s reputation within the global sports community.

He also highlighted the vital role played by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in supporting national sports strategies and enabling Bahraini athletes and sports institutions to achieve higher levels of performance and international competitiveness.

 The Minister further commended the initiatives led by His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Works and Youth Affairs and Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, describing his programmes and projects as a key driver in expanding youth participation and strengthening the overall sports environment in the Kingdom.

In addition, he praised the continuous follow-up and leadership of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, Chairman of the General Authority for Sports and President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, and his efforts to develop national sports systems and to support programmes aimed at raising the competitive readiness of Bahraini athletes.

The Minister of Interior expressed his appreciation to His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa for attending the closing ceremony, affirming that His Highness’s presence reflects sustained interest in sports and its important role in Bahrain’s comprehensive development process.

The championship, organised by the Police Sports Federation in cooperation with the Police Officers Club, was held from 26 January to 1 February 2026, and featured a strong field of internationally ranked players.

The Minister praised the tournament’s technical standards, professional organisation and spirit of sportsmanship, noting that the event received the ATP award for best tournament in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the Best ATP 125 Tournament worldwide award for 2025, highlighting the high level of professionalism achieved by the organising teams.

The singles title was won by France’s Kyrian Jacquet, ranked 128th in the world, after defeating Italy’s Luca Nardi, ranked 108th, in the final by two sets to one.

In the doubles competition, the title was claimed by India’s Ramkumar Balaji and Austria’s Niels Oberleitner.

A documentary film highlighting the achievements of the championship across its five editions was screened during the ceremony.

Following this, His Excellency Shaikh Khalid bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Supreme Committee of the Bahrain Open Challenger Tennis Championship, received the Best Organisation Award for 2025 from the Vice President of the International Tennis Federation.

At the conclusion of the event, His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and the Minister of Interior presented trophies and commemorative awards to the winners and honoured the tournament’s sponsors.