‘Iron Sharpens Iron’: Conlan hails Bahrain’s boxing talent

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain's national youth boxing teams returned from Bosnia-Herzegovina with five medals and a wealth of valuable international experience after a strong showing at the Olympic Hopes International Boxing Tournament.

Leading the charge was teenage sensation Jayden Price, who struck gold in the 54kg division while representing the Kingdom. Salman Rafique also climbed to the top of the podium with gold in the 50kg category, while Mohammed Attiya (75kg) and Ibrahim Abdulla Ameen (57kg) secured silver medals. Mohammed Moamen completed Bahrain's medal haul with a bronze.

While the results reflected a successful week in the ring, national boxing coach John Conlan believes the biggest victory was the development gained by his young athletes against unfamiliar opposition and European boxing styles.

Speaking to TDT, the Irishman highlighted the importance of keeping Price active on the international circuit as one of the region’s brightest young talents.

“Jayden is an elite athlete at this level,” Conlan said. “The objective was to keep him active and expose him to different styles. He has mostly been competing against Asian-style boxers recently, so this was a great opportunity to face European opponents and broaden his experience.”

Conlan praised the teenager's maturity and potential, while also acknowledging the role played by Price's father and coach, Lee Price, in his progress.

“He’s a very talented athlete and he’s doing a really good job. His performances were excellent throughout the tournament.”

The coach also stressed the wider impact Price has on the Bahraini squad, describing his presence as a source of inspiration for the country's emerging boxers.

“There’s an old saying that iron sharpens iron,” Conlan said. “The other athletes watch Jayden, they see how he trains and carries himself, and that influences them. Having athletes of his calibre around the team helps raise everybody’s standards.”

Despite the impressive medal tally, Conlan revealed that podium finishes were never the primary objective heading into the tournament.

“When we came here, it wasn’t really about medals. It was about development,” he explained. “Most of our athletes don’t have extensive international experience, so this was about exposing them to a training camp, different opponents and a completely different environment.”

The team faced challenges adapting to unfamiliar conditions, food and surroundings, but Conlan believes those experiences will prove invaluable moving forward.

“Our athletes have now been exposed to that level and they performed against some very strong opponents. Every time they compete in this environment, they improve. We’ll review everything when we get home, identify areas to develop and keep pushing forward.”

For Bahrain’s rising generation of boxers, Bosnia may prove to be another important step in a promising journey.