Nationals primed for youth games

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

The countdown is nearing its end for the third Asian Youth Games, set to take place in Bahrain from October 22 to 31 under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad.

Originally awarded to Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 2019, the Games were reassigned to Bahrain in record time after construction delays and Uzbekistan’s withdrawal in December 2024, giving the Kingdom less than a year to prepare.

The event will now welcome more than 5,000 athletes aged 14 to 18 from 45 nations, all competing across 24 sports. Bahrain’s Teams Take Place Preparations are well underway as Bahrain finalizes its squads for the Games, with the Olympic Committee confirming participation in athletics, 3×3 basketball, jiu-jitsu, badminton, and E-sports.

The under-16 3×3 basketball squad includes Somto Patrick Onoduenyi, Hassan Abdulkadir, Divine Tochukwu Abochi, Ali Hussain Mahdi, Yousif Yaqoob Meshaei, and Hussain Fuad Ghuloom, guided by Serbian coach Bogdan Dragovic and Bahraini coach Murtadha Mohammed.

On the track, Bahrain will be represented by Salah Rashid, Yousef Ayman Rizq, Talal Al Dossary, Maryam Ateeq, and others across sprints, middle distance, and cross-country.

Jiu-jitsu competitors include European champion Pedro Bisi de Jesus, Yousif Mercer, and Hamad Fuad Waheed. Badminton features the likes of Ali Ashoor, Fatima Ebrahim, while the E-sports team is led by Hussain Al Jowder.

Expanded Sports Programme

The Games will feature swimming, athletics, badminton, 3×3 basketball, boxing, camel racing, cycling, equestrian, E-sports, indoor football, golf, handball, jiu-jitsu, judo, kabaddi, mixed martial arts, Muay Thai, table tennis, taekwondo, teqball, triathlon, volleyball, weightlifting, and wrestling. Kurash joins the programme for the first time at the Asian Youth Games as announced yesterday.

Venues are organised into zones. Zone 1, around Isa Sports City and Bahrain National Stadium, hosts athletics, handball, futsal, volleyball, kabaddi, and badminton. Zone 2, at Exhibition World Bahrain, stages table tennis, MMA, E-sports, taekwondo, Muay Thai, jiu-jitsu, boxing, judo, teqball, weightlifting, and wrestling. Additional venues include the Military Sports Union for equestrian jumping, Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation for camel racing and endurance events, Royal Golf Club for golf, Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa for triathlon, NBH Loop for road cycling, and Sama Bay for beach volleyball and beach wrestling.

Exhibition World Bahrain also hosts the opening ceremony on October 22, the first indoor inauguration in the Games’ history.

Competition begins before the ceremony, with boys’ futsal, handball, and volleyball on October 19, followed by girls’ futsal, kabaddi, teqball, and beach volleyball on October 21.

The Games conclude on October 31 with swimming finals and the closing ceremony.

Gateway to Dakar

The Asian Youth Games is Asia’s second-largest multi-sport event after the Asian Games. Previous editions were held in Singapore (2009) and Nanjing (2013), with later editions cancelled.

The Games also serve as a qualification pathway for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar. For Bahrain, the event builds on the ISF Gymnasiade 2024, which featured more than 5,000 participants from 80 countries, with the focus now on the Kingdom’s own athletes competing on home soil.