Tracing the evolution of Asian Youth Games

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

After more than a decade-long pause, the Asian Youth Games return from October 22 to 31, with Bahrain hosting over 4,300 athletes from 45 National Olympic Committees. The opening ceremony at Exhibition World Bahrain will be the first indoor inauguration in the Games’ history. Selected events, including boys’ futsal, handball, and volleyball, will begin on October 19, ahead of the official opening, followed by girls’ futsal, kabaddi, teqball, and beach volleyball on October 21.

The 2025 programme features 26 sports, combining traditional events such as athletics, swimming, and badminton with newer disciplines including E-sports, jiu-jitsu, teqball, Muay Thai, camel racing, and Kurash, which makes its debut. Other sports include volleyball, futsal, handball, judo, mixed martial arts, table tennis, taekwondo, wrestling, boxing, triathlon, weightlifting, Pencak Silat, equestrian events, and cycling. The Games will award medals across 259 events.

Origins and Growth

The Asian Youth Games began in 2009 in Singapore, bringing together 1,237 athletes from 43 countries across nine sports. Organized by the Olympic Council of Asia, the Games were created as part of Singapore’s preparation to host the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics and aimed to give young athletes early exposure to international competition in a structured environment.

The second edition, held in Nanjing in 2013, expanded significantly, with 2,404 athletes from 45 countries competing in 16 sports across 122 events. China topped the medal table with 71 golds, followed by South Korea and Thailand. Planned editions in Hambantota (2017) and Shantou (2021) were cancelled due to logistical and global challenges, pausing the event for more than a decade.

Originally awarded to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the 2025 Games were reassigned to Bahrain after Uzbekistan withdrew in December 2024 due to delays in infrastructure construction. Now, under the royal patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Bahrain has prepared 23 venues and unveiled official medals for 505 gold, 503 silver, and 669 bronze awards.

The executive committee of the Third Asian Youth Games officially approved the medals during a press conference in late August. The gold, silver, and bronze medals feature the Games’ emblem at their center, surrounded by stylized motifs representing the word “Bahrain”. A total of 1,677 medals across 24 sports will be up for grabs, making the Games a crucial stepping stone toward the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.