Asian Indoor and Martial Arts games begins today

Manama : The Fifth edition of the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games officially gets underway today in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan with 45 countries from across Asia, 19 from Oceana and an Olympic Refugee Team competing in 21 sports for a total of 341 gold medals.

The official opening ceremony will be staged at the 45,000 seater newly-built Ashgabat Olympic Stadium, which is located at the centre of the complex, and is a one of a kind facility and set to leave a long lasting legacy for Turkmen sports, especially as a football and athletics venue.

Bahrain is represented in three disciplines for the 12-day event. They are jiu jitsu, taekwondo and wrestling.

The jiu jitsu team, which was the first to touch down on Ashgabat, includes administrator Ahmed Janahi, coach Reza Monfaradi, athletes are Mohammed Abu Idris (69kg), Ahmed Mansoor (77kg), Ali Monfaradi (77kg), Nejad Al Gosaibi (85kg) and Ali Ibrahimi (85kg) and will be in action tomorrow.

Head Coach Tawfeeq Nuwaiser leads a three-member taekwondo team, which includes Wala’a Al Dossary (57kg), Juana Mousa (62kg) and her younger sister Jumana Mousa (73kg). The trio started training yesterday in Ashgabat ahead of the taekwondo action, which begins for them on Tuesday. 

Adam Batirov (70kg freestyle) will be the only athlete representing Bahrain in wrestling. Batirov is a former Asian wrestling champion and is coached by Mahmood Magomedov.

Meanwhile, Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation president and Bahrain chef de mission Shaikh Faisal bin Rashid Al Khalifa arrived in Ashgabat yesterday to deputise for His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to attend today’s opening ceremony.