Golden Finish for Bahrain in Athletics

Penultimate Day Yields Multiple Medals at Islamic Solidarity Games

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s athletes continued to shine on the penultimate day of the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games, which also marked the final day of athletics competition. The Kingdom added three more podium finishes, with two golds for the women and a silver for the men, cementing its strong presence on the track and field.

Edidiong Odiong reinforced her reputation as one of Asia’s top sprinters by winning gold in the women’s 200m in 22.99 seconds. This victory complements her earlier gold in the women’s 4x100m relay, marking her second medal of the Games. Salwa Eid Naser added silver in the same race with 23.52 seconds, and also secured her second medal after winning gold in the 400m earlier in the Games. Together, Odiong and Naser demonstrated Bahrain’s depth and consistency in women’s sprinting, while Cameroon’s Kolle Eta Herverge Tonjock completed the podium.

Nelly Korir extended Bahrain’s dominance in middle-distance running with gold in the women’s 1500m, finishing in 4:21.56. Already a gold medallist in the 800m, Korir displayed tactical acumen to edge out Morocco’s Soukaina Hajji and Uganda’s Knight Aciru, highlighting Bahrain’s command across both middle and long-distance events.

On the men’s side, Birhanu Balew earned silver in the 5000m with 13:46.26, narrowly behind Djibouti’s Mohamed Ismail. Balew, who previously captured gold in the 10,000m, once again showed endurance and strategic racing, while fellow Bahraini Abdikani Hamid secured fifth place, rounding out a strong team performance.

The Kingdom's success was also evident beyond individual events. Noora Jasim took bronze in the women’s shot put with 15.44 meters, and the mixed 4x400m relay team of Musa Isah, Oluwakemi Adekoya, Alaa Sami, and Salwa Naser claimed silver in 3:17.28, narrowly behind Nigeria. The women’s foil fencing team added another silver, demonstrating Bahrain's competitiveness across multiple disciplines.

With 15 golds, 6 silvers, and 9 bronze medals, Bahrain sits sixth in the overall standings, trailing Turkiye, Uzbekistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. The Kingdom’s athletes will now look to close the Games on a high note, leaving Riyadh with their heads held high.