The 2018 Youth Olympic Games, being held in Buenos Aires, is a golden opportunity for young Bahraini athletes to gain more confidence and experience, said Bahrain chef de mission and Bahrain Olympic Committee member Bader Nasser.
Four of Bahrain’s promising young athletes are in the Argentina capital to compete with the world’s best in three sports during the 12-day event.
During his visit to the Olympic village, Nasser met Bahrain delegation director Salem Nasser, who briefed him on the athletes’ performances in their respective sports.
“Our main objective here is to give our future heroes the opportunity to interact with international stars as well as achieve better personal records,” said Nasser.
“Take tennis for example; our player Ali Dawani has competed will but has not been able to go too far in this tournament.
“He is constantly developing through his stay in Morocco and training there, and we hope that with more interaction and experience, Ali will make it big stake in future.”
Confidence
Nasser praised Maryam Sharif, who set a new personal record in the 48kg category in weightlifting at the youth Olympics, and also wished short-distance runners Yousef Anan and Marwa Al Ajooj success in their events.
“We hope that each of them will achieve new personal records and gain more confidence through this global Olympic experience,” said Nasser.
Yousef Anan and Marwa Al Ajooz are spearheading Bahrain in athletics in this edition of the Youth Olympics. Anan is competing in the men’s 400 metres, while Marwa will line up for the women’s 100m run. Dawani and Marwa complete the Bahrain line-up.
Senegal will host the fourth edition of the summer Youth Olympic Games in 2022, the first on the African continent. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) unanimously made the decision on Monday in Buenos Aires where Senegal beat proposals from three other African nations – Botswana, Nigeria and Tunisia.