Sprint Kings and Queens Light Up Bahrain Track

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

The floodlights at Bahrain National Stadium burned bright last night as Asia’s fastest teenagers took to the track at the 3rd Asian Youth Games, and by the end of two electrifying sprints, both the girls’ and boys’ finals had displayed Asia’s sensational sprint talent.

The night began with the girls’ 400m final, where the UAE’s Aisha Tariq claimed gold in 54.26 seconds. Edwina Jason of India followed in 55.43 for silver, with Chia-ying Wu of Chinese Taipei taking bronze in 56.60.

When The Daily Tribune caught up with Tariq after the race, she was still beaming with disbelief. “When I finished, I was so happy,” she said. “My coach was still praying, so he didn’t even know I’d won! When he saw me, he said, ‘That’s my baby!’”

She laughed, clutching her medal tightly. “Before the race, he told me, ‘Run your race, do it your way.’ I did exactly that and now I have gold. It means everything.”

Her victory sent a surge of energy through the stands, setting the tone for the boys’ final that followed minutes later.

China’s Lai Jianguang then delivered a performance of controlled brilliance, winning in 10.56 seconds to break the Youth Games Best Mark. Teammate Lin Xiaohai claimed silver in 10.73, completing a dominant Chinese one-two, while Huang Guan Yao of Chinese Taipei took bronze in 10.82.

Speaking exclusively to The Daily Tribune, Lai caught his breath and smiled. “When the final whistle blew, I just felt relief and pure happiness,” he said. “Winning this gold makes all my years of training worth it. I want to thank my coach for his guidance and my family for their support.”

Though short of his own Asian youth record of 10.00 set earlier this year in Hiroshima, Lai’s run reaffirmed his place among Asia’s rising sprint stars.

As the night came to a close, two new champions stood at the centre of the track as proof that Asia’s next generation of sprinters has already arrived.