Bahrain Youth Games Set to Spark to Life Today

Five sports begin before opening ceremony

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

The third Bahrain Youth Games get underway today, three days before the official opening ceremony at Exhibition World Bahrain. Competitions in five sports will take place across multiple venues, giving the Kingdom's young athletes a chance to set the tone for the tournament.

Bahrain has prepared for the Games in just ten months, an impressive turnaround for an event that usually takes years. Over 4,300 athletes will compete across 26 sports, with action set at Umm Alhassam Sports Complex, Isa Sports City, Exhibition World Bahrain, and more.

Morning and Afternoon Action  

The day begins with kabaddi at Isa Sports City, where boys’ and girls’ teams in Groups 1 and 2 will compete from 10:00am, running through the afternoon.  

At the same time, martial arts events take place at Exhibition World Bahrain (Hall 2). Kurash opens with boys’ -65kg and girls’ -70kg preliminaries at 10:00am, while pencak silat begins its preliminaries for girls 51–55kg and boys 51–55kg and 59–63kg divisions. Both sports move into semifinals and finals in the afternoon, offering the first opportunity for medals.

Meanwhile, volleyball kicks off at Isa Sports City, with boys’ and girls’ teams competing in Halls B and C. Preliminary pool matches begin at 11:30am, featuring teams from China, Qatar, Hong Kong, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Pakistan, Mongolia, and Iran. Matches will continue throughout the day, setting the tone for the rest of the tournament.

Handball Takes Evening Spotlight

The day’s evening highlight is boys’ handball, with Bahrain facing Hong Kong at 7:00pm in Umm Alhassam Sports Complex (Hall A). Bahrain last won a youth handball medal in 2013 at the Asian Youth Games in Nanjing and will be looking to start the tournament strongly.

The Bahraini squad includes Ahmed Karrar, Salman Haidar, Sabt Qassim, Hussain Abadi, Mohammed Tarrada, Sayed Majeed AlMuhafda, Ahmed Eid, Ahmed Abdulla, Mahdi Ali, Ali AlMahroos, Ahmed AlSamahiji, Mahmood Ahmed, Abuthar Yateem, Ali Hasan, and Aadam M.

Hong Kong counters with a strong squad led by Jim Chi Kwan, Li Cheuk Fai, Wong Hoi Pong, Kuo Hong Ching, and Yeung Sze Hang, supported by Lum Wing Hin, Lui Kin Fung, Un Ngo Yeung, Or Wai Chun, Li Zhengyu, Leung Shing To, Wong Kai Yin Nathan, He Ho Lam, Chen Kai Yuen, and Tsoi Tsz Yin. Bahrain’s group also includes Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the Maldives, with group matches running through October 26, semifinals on October 28, and finals on October 30.

More to come

The Games expand further on Monday, when beach volleyball at Sama Bay and teqball at EWB Hall 10 join the schedule. By the opening ceremony on October 22, several medals may already have been decided, giving Bahrain’s athletes an early chance to establish themselves.