Parliament Approves Proposal to Appoint Sports Talent Specialists in Schools

Parliament approved by majority vote a proposal calling for the appointment of specialised sports talent officers in schools, following debate during the 15th regular sitting that highlighted differing views on how best to develop Bahrain’s sporting base.

The decision followed the presentation of a report by the Services Committee on the proposal, which was submitted under Article 68 of the Constitution and the relevant provisions of Parliament’s rules of procedure governing parliamentary recommendations. The framework allows MPs to raise matters of public interest for referral to the Government after approval.

MP Mahdi Abdulaziz Al Shuwaikh spoke in support of the proposal, stressing the importance of investing in young people to build a strong and sustainable sporting future. He pointed to repeated achievements by Bahraini athletes at regional and international competitions, saying these successes underline the value of early and structured talent identification in schools.

He said international experience shows a shift away from reliance solely on traditional physical education teaching, towards specialised coaches with expertise in sports science, performance analysis and systematic talent monitoring. He added that current physical education teachers already carry wide responsibilities, limiting their ability to focus on talent development alone.

MP Hanan Al Fardan said she agreed with the objective but questioned the approach, pointing to the presence of hundreds of unemployed physical education graduates. She asked why new job titles should be created when qualified graduates were available and warned that introducing specialised posts could place additional financial burdens on the education system.

MP Hisham Al Awadhi cited figures showing large numbers of unemployed graduates in physical education, arguing that priority should be given to employing existing job seekers. He noted that many physical education teachers already work as players or trainers in sports clubs.

Despite the reservations raised, Parliament voted by majority to approve the proposal, referring the matter to the Government for consideration of implementation and employment mechanisms.