Bahrain Rack Up Medals in Doha
TDT | Manama
Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com
Bahrain continued its strong showing at the 4th GCC Games in Doha yesterday, collecting a full set of medals on Day 2: gold in women’s 3x3 basketball, silver in men’s 3x3 basketball and table tennis, and bronze in swimming.
The standout performance came from the women’s 3x3 basketball team, who clinched gold with a 22–17 victory over Saudi Arabia in the final. Bahrain had reached the title match in dominant fashion, sweeping past Kuwait 21–7 in the semi-finals, powered by sharp shooting from Bayan Salman and strong all-round play from Aya Murtadha.
In the final, Saudi Arabia kept the opening stages tight, but Bahrain gradually asserted control. Salman broke a 5–5 tie with a long-range two-pointer before Murtadha added another outside shot to stretch the lead to 15–8. From there, Bahrain maintained momentum, with Murtadha adding a free throw and Salman helping close out a historic gold medal win.
After the match, Murtadha reflected on the support behind her success, saying: “He supports me, even at home, he helps me improve my game,” referring to her father and coach, Murtadha Mohammed. Teammate Marian Sameer described the victory as redemption after last year’s defeat to Saudi Arabia in the Gulf Basketball Association Championship final, adding: “Ever since that loss in November, we’ve been working hard to make amends — and now we’re bringing gold back to Bahrain.”
The men’s 3x3 team also delivered a strong campaign, opening with a comfortable 21–10 pool win over the UAE, led by Devon Chism’s playmaking, Bogdan Dragovic’s perimeter scoring, and Austin Ajukwa’s inside presence. They repeated their dominance in the semifinals, again defeating the UAE 21–8 to reach the final. Bahrain ultimately took silver after falling to hosts Qatar in the championship match.
Elsewhere, Bahrain earned silver in the men’s table tennis team event at the Aspire Dome, beginning with a 3–0 win over Oman before finishing second to Saudi Arabia overall.
In swimming at the Hamad Aquatics Centre, Bahrain added two bronze medals. Robert Bonsall placed third in the men’s 400m freestyle in 3:57.97, while the men’s 4x400m freestyle relay also secured bronze in 3:29.62.
In boxing, Bahrain moved closer to more medal success after Omar Ismail advanced to the men’s 60kg final following a strong performance against his UAE opponent, with Irish coach John Conlon in his corner. Ali Omar also progressed to the 75kg final after a dominant unanimous decision victory, controlling the bout with sharp head movement and effective body shots throughout.
In taekwondo, Abdulla Aldoseri competed in the men’s -68kg category but was eliminated by Oman’s Shabib Al Wahaibi.
Bahrain will be back in action today across several sports, including shooting, billiards, and table tennis, while boxing reaches its finals with medals at stake. Athletics also gets underway, alongside continued swimming events, as the Kingdom’s representatives look to add to their medal tally.
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