Bahrain eyes strong showing at Asian Beach Games

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain will compete in four sports at the 6th Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China, from April 22 to 30, 2026. The Kingdom’s athletes will take part in men’s beach handball, 3x3 basketball, beach wrestling, and open water swimming.

Officials in Sanya yesterday kicked off the Games’ torch relay with a lighting ceremony along the coast, symbolising the start of Asia’s premier beach sports festival. The flame will travel across the city ahead of the April 22 opening ceremony, highlighting Sanya’s tropical beaches and growing sports culture.

An online meeting of the Bahraini administrative delegation, chaired by Ahmed Mohammed Abdulghaffar, was held on Sunday to finalise arrangements. Abdulghaffar conveyed greetings from H.E. Faris Mustafa Al Kooheji, Secretary General of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, and discussed travel logistics and team preparations. The delegation will depart for Doha on April 14 before flying on a special Gulf delegation flight to Sanya on April 15.

In men’s beach handball, Bahrain are drawn in Group A with hosts China, Iran, the Philippines, Hong Kong, India, and Sri Lanka. Head coach Hussain Al Qaidoum described the draw as balanced, noting that a seven-team group provides more flexibility than Group B’s eightteam line-up. Full preparations will begin after the domestic league concludes, with the squad arriving in Sanya several days in advance to acclimatise and fine-tune their readiness. Al Qaidoum believes the early fixtures will help build match rhythm and provide a strong chance to advance from the group stage.

The team’s main target is the semi-finals, though the later stages are expected to be highly competitive against experienced sides from Group B, including Qatar, Oman, Jordan, and Pakistan Bahrain’s 3x3 basketball team, led by coach Ahmed Elias, includes Bogdan Dragovic, Austin Ogukwa, Milos Supica, and Nasser Al Mousawi. The team opens against Qatar on April 25 at 12:10 PM, faces India later that same day at 2:15 PM, and concludes the preliminary round against Kazakhstan on April 27 at 8:30 PM. Quarter-finals are scheduled for April 28, with semi-finals and finals on April 29.

With venues, transport, and support infrastructure fully prepared, Bahrain aims to deliver strong performances across all four sports. Organizers say the Games will feature 1,790 athletes from 45 countries competing in 14 sports, 15 disciplines, and 62 events.

Zhang Changfeng, deputy secretary general of the Sanya Asian Beach Games Organizing Committee, stressed: “As we enter the final stretch, we will refine every detail to perfection with a meticulous attitude. With strong national coordination, provincial leadership, municipal implementation, and support from all sectors of society, the 6th Asian Beach Games will surely become a wonderful and extraordinary sporting event.”