Bahrain lose volleyball opener

Manama : Bahrain women’s national volleyball team started their title defence losing 3-0 (25-15, 25-10, 25-17 against the UAE on the second day of the Fifth GCC Women’s Games yesterday at the Aspire Academy volleyball hall in Doha, Qatar.

The team under national tactician Yasine Al Meel, were unable to match the strength of their opponents who dominated much of the game with some excellent skills and coherent teamwork.

Elsewhere, Bahrain were back on course in the handball championship at Aspire Zone with a well-earned 17-10 victory over Oman to helped shrug off their disappointing 11-25 defeat to hosts Qatar in the tournament opener.

Oman suffered a second defeat in a row after going down 11-23 to the UAE on Tuesday. Bahrain, who finished third in the previous Games in Muscat, play their third match today against Oman at 4.30pm.

Fatma Al Jal was Bahrain’s top scorer with four goals, while Sondos Al Amri (3 goals), Safa Ahmed, Heba Abdulla (2), Mahiya Abdulla (1), Aya Faisal and Noora Yaqoub also spearheaded Bahrain in last night’s game.

Bahrain play the UAE today in their third match at 4pm at the Aspire Zone.

In fencing, Bahrain’s medal hopes were dashed after losing their quarter-final contests in both the epee and flores events at Aspire Academy’s fencing hall as Layla Fardeen and Maha Al Dossary both crashed out of the quarter-finals in the flores, while compatriots Sumaya Khalid and Mona Ahmed were able to reach the last-16 round.

Dana Khalil, Maram Mohammed and Sumaya Khalid qualified for the last-16 round, where their hopes of advancing into the next stages vanished. Action continues today with the shooting and athletics events getting underway.

The five-day shooting events get underway at Lusail Shooting Circuit with the 50m rifle and 10m pistol contests and the athletics, takes place at Qatar Club from 4pm with competition in 100m hurdles, high jump, javelin throw, 100m, pole vault, 400m, shot put and 10,000m final scheduled.

Other venues hosting events are the Ladies Club at the Equestrian Federation, Qatar Sports Club, Qatar Bowling Centre and Qatar Chess Association.

More than 800 athletes from four GCC countries – Bahrain, Oman, UAE and hosts Qatar are lined up for the games, which conclude on 17 March and are competing in 10 different sports - basketball, handball, table tennis, volleyball, chess, athletics, archery, fencing, taekwondo and bowling.

Bahrain were crowned overall champions of the third and fourth editions in 2013 and 2015 in Manama and Muscat respectively and are looking to complete their hat-trick this time around.

Heading Bahrain’s delegation is Supreme Council for Youth and Sports Deputy General Secretary and Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) board member and Women’s Sport Committee chairwoman Shaikha Hayat bint Abdulaziz Al Khalifa.