TDT | Manama

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Bahrain’s Asian Games athletics preparations move into their next phase, with a training camp in Malaysia running until September 21.

The intensive programme, overseen by the technical staff, will focus on sharpening the athletes’ physical and technical readiness for the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Meanwhile, Salwa Eid Naser and Kemi Adekoya, former world champions outdoors and indoors respectively, will represent the kingdom at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship 2026, taking place from today until Sunday in Budapest, Hungary.

The Asian Games athletics competition will then run from September 23 to 29 at the 30,000-capacity Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya, which will also stage the opening and closing ceremonies.

Olympic champion and former world champion Winfred Yavi headlines the full-strength, 34-member selection, comprising 17 women and 17 men. Eight members won gold at the previous edition in Hangzhou.

The women’s sprint and hurdles contingent features Naser, Adekoya, Zenab Mahamat, Edidiong Odiong, Raihanah Garoubah, Aisha Abdulla, Hajar Alkhaldi, Layla Kamal, Sufian Abdulghani and Zainab Ali.

Yavi is joined in the middle and long-distance group by Nelly Jepkosgei, Tigest Mekonen, Eunice Chumba, Shitaye Eshete and Olympic and Asian Games champion Ruth Jebet. Shot putter Noora Jasim completes the female roster.

Among the men, Musa Isah and Abbas Yusuf form part of a sprint section that also includes Abdulraof Rashed, Alaa Sami, Ali Haji, Ebrahim Simon and Salem Bakheet.

Middle-distance runners Abdisamad Hirsi, Hamse Dhabar and Zouhair Aouad have also been selected, alongside long-distance specialists Birhanu Balew, Abdikani Hamid, Al-bert Kiptoo, Elhassan Elabbassi and Shumi Gurmu. Shot putter Abdelrahman Mahmoud and high jumper Ahmed Sabri complete the field-event contingent.

Balew heads towards Japan in outstanding form after winning the men’s 5,000m at the Diamond League final in Brussels. His time of 12 minutes 45.70 seconds set Asian, Arab and Bahraini records and was also the fastest in the world this year.

The victory earned the 30-year-old his first Diamond Trophy and made him the first Bahraini male athlete to claim a Diamond League title.

Several members also carry distinguished records from Hangzhou. Yavi won the women’s 3,000m steeplechase and 1,500m, while the newly crowned Diamond League champion completed a golden double in the men’s 5,000m and 10,000m.

Adekoya collected four titles, prevailing in the women’s 400m and 400m hurdles before contributing to victories in both 4x400m relays. Naser, who finished second behind her compatriot in the individual 400m, also featured in the successful women’s and mixed quartets.

Mahamat helped secure the women’s relay crown, while Isah and Yusuf formed part of the mixed team. Chumba added another gold in the women’s marathon.

Those performances helped the kingdom achieve its best Asian Games return, collecting 20 medals, including 12 golds. Athletics supplied 16 medals and 10 victories, making it the country’s most productive sport last time out.