Bahrain top in athletics

Bahrain’s athletes yesterday made their nation proud after winning the overall trophy at the 19th Pan Arab Championships that came to a close last night at Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town.

The fourth and concluding day of the Arab region’s most prestigious athletics event brought mixed fortune for the championship hosts Bahrain, who added 11 medals (5 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze) to their tally.

These results helped Bahrain top the medal tally among 21 Arab countries with 31 medals in total, including 12 gold, 10 silver and nine bronze. They were followed by runners-up Morocco (8, 6, 6) and Qatar (6, 6, 4) in third place.

Shumi Dechasa (1 hour two minutes 50 seconds) opened Bahrain’s account of the day by winning the men’s Half Marathon, followed by compatriot Mahboob Hasan (1:07:28) for silver with Tunisia’s Wesam Hosni (1:07:32) taking bronze.

Bahrain also dominated the women’s half marathon, in which Eunice Jepkirui Kirwa (1:11:02) and Marima Mohammed (1:19:40) raced to a 1-2 finish Ali Khamis (50.10 seconds) continued his superb form winning the 400m hurdles gold medal, Algeria’s Saber Bukamosh (50.31) took silver and Rahmani Melod (50.52) and bronze.

Bahrain extended their excellent form capturing medals in the men’s and women’s 200m finals, In the women’s event Adedoyin Oding (22.98) raced to victory, finishing ahead of Dana Al Khafaji (23.69) of Iraq and Morocco’s Asa Raziqi (23.77) and in the men’s Yaqoub Salem (20.82) took bronze but finishing behind gold medalist Fimi Seon (20.52) and silver medal winner Barakat Al Harthi (20.66), both of Qatar.

Late on in the 5,000m final, Albert Rop (13:08.55) and Oiki Eilo (13:29.03) capture a silver and a bronze respectively for Bahrain, behind gold medalist Ayanla Sulaiman (13:17.97) of Djibouti.

Excitement mounted in the 4x400m as Bahrain battled with Qatar (3:04.93) for glory, with the latter taking gold followed by Bahrain (3:06.23) for silver and Saudi Arabia (3:06.57) bronze.

The women’s relay team, led by Hajer Al Khaldi, showed more composure as they clinched the 4x400m gold (3:36.77), Morocco (3:38.60) took silver and Sudan (3:49.36) bronze.

Supreme Council for Youth and Sports chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa attended the final day and presented the overall trophy to West Asia Athletics Federation president and Bahrain Athletics Association president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

Other results:

Men:

110m hurdles (Decathlon): 1 Mohammed Jassim (KSA, 14.31 seconds); 2Mohammed Ahmed (Qat, 15.24); 3 Majid Radi (Kuw, 16.23).

800m: 1 Musab A. Rahman (Qat, 1m:46.74s); 2 Ali Saad (KSA, 1:47.03); 3 Nader Balhanbal (Mar, 1:47.68). 1,500m (Decathlon): 1 Majed Radi (Kuw, 4m 37.52s); 2 Mohammed Al Mannai (Qat, 4:49.98); 3 Ahmed Saber (Egy, 4:51.27).

Discus (Decathlon): 1 Ahmed Saber (Egy, 42.89 metres); 2 Majed Radi (Kuw, 31.30); 3 Mohammed Jassim (KSA, 37.01).

Discus: 1 Isa Mohammed (Kuw, 63.22m); 2 Ahmed Mohammed (Qat, 63.01); 3 Mustafa Kadhim (Irq, 60.60).

Pole Vault: 1 Ahmed Saber (Egy, 4.00m); 2 Majed Radi (Kuw, 3.60); 3 Mohammed Jassim (KSA, 4.40).

Javelin (Decathlon): 1 Ahmed Saber (Egy, 54.79m); 2 MajedRadi (Kuw, 44.90); 3 Mohammed Jassim (KSA, 54.11).

Long Jump: 1 Sale Al Haddad (Kuw, 7.96m); 2 Muhannad Al Jasmi (KSA, 7.77); 3 Ahmed Fayez (KSA, 7.63).

Women:

1,500m: 1 Amna Bakheit (Sud, 5m 22.27s); 2 Rabab Arrafi (Mar, 5.22.30); 3 Bethlaham Disa (UAE, 5:22.99).

Triple jump: 1 Jama’a Ashnaik (Mar, 13.51m); 2 Amita Marie (Brn, 13.22); 3 Fatma Al Hammadi (Tun, 12.89).

400m hurdles: 1 Lamya Al Hebez (56.04s); 2. Kemi Adekoya (Brn, 56.73); 3.Hayat Al Mubarki (Mar, 57.05).