A TEENAGED Bahraini football player has just returned from Germany where he was invited for try-outs by Borussia Monchengladbach, a 123-year-old club based in North Rhine-Westphalia, which has won five Bundesliga championships, three DFB-Pokals and two UEFA Europa League titles.
Mubarak Mohamed Mubarak Binahmed, 19, who plays for Muharraq club and the Bahrain U23 team, travelled to Monchengladbach for a four-day trial after his name was recommended to Borussia by a football agency based in the kingdom that is focused on promoting the sport by representing promising young players, arranging trials and exchange programmes.
The young footballer’s visit to Germany was sponsored by the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports (SCYS) first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority (GSA) chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
“It was an amazing experience,” Binahmed, who plays as a right-winger, told the GDN in an exclusive interview. “Even though they lasted just four days, the try-outs were intense, with two sessions daily; one in the morning and another in the evening.
“But I learned a lot! And the players and coaching staff were fantastic – they were warm and welcoming and accepted me into their fold. I found them to be like one big happy family.”
The eldest of three brothers, Binahmed started playing football at the age of five, grew up idolising Argentinian great Lionel Messi and always wanted to be a professional football player.
Now, just four years after he played his first competitive match for Galali and barely a year-and-a-half since he moved to Muharraq, where he plays for the first team, Binahmed has created a niche for himself in the U23 national side and is poised to realise his childhood dream.
But the teenager, who is studying for a bachelor’s degree in cyber-security at the British University of Bahrain (BUB), is keeping his feet firmly on the ground as he awaits the results of the try-outs with his immediate focus on preparing with the U23 team for the upcoming qualifying matches for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“We will be playing Japan, Palestine and Pakistan in our first three qualifying games for the Olympics in September,” Binahmed explained. “So all my attention is focused on them. The Borussia Monchengladbach try-outs went well but I don’t know when we’ll find out if they’ll pick me or not – so it’s better to concentrate on the task at hand.”
The visit to Germany was made possible by the efforts of another 19-year-old, Khalid Abdulrahman, whose company, Sportnaa Football Agency, initiated the discussions with Monchengladbach, then sought the approval of Shaikh Khalid, along with engaging in talks with the Bahrain Football Association (BFA) and the Muharraq club management.
“We created the idea and the project and then we spoke to Borussia Monchengladbach before requesting Shaikh Khalid’s approval for the move,” Abdulrahman told the GDN. “Of course, the BFA and the Muharraq club management were in the loop as well.
“After our initial discussions with Borussia Monchengladbach, they did some research on Bahrain and saw that all sports – and football, in particular – were doing very well under the leadership of Shaikh Khalid, so they decided to extend an invitation to Mubarak.
“And they wanted the player to be sponsored by Shaikh Khalid, because Borussia Monchengladbach want to build relations with the kingdom.”
The entire process, from the start of the initial discussions to Binahmed’s eventual arrival in Germany, took a couple of months, Abdulrahman added, with several key people contributing to the outcome.
“Borussia Monchengladbach legend Winfried Schafer played a big role in making the deal go through,” Abdulrahman said. “He’s not only a club legend, he was also, kind of, the focal person in our talks with the German side.
“Once we received the go-ahead from Borussia Monchengladbach, we spoke to Mubarak and sought Shaikh Khalid’s approval. And we also received a lot of support from Clemens Hach, the German Ambassador to Bahrain and his embassy.
“Then the dates were set and Shaikh Khalid gave his blessings because he knew this was a big deal, a big opportunity for all concerned: Bahrain, Borussia Monchengladbach, the players. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to him for all his support.”
Abdulrahman travelled to Monchengladbach with Binahmed where both young men also got the opportunity to meet another German and Monchengladbach legend, Rainer Bonhof, who is currently the vice-president of the club.
“He was very nice,” Abdulrahman said, referring to Bonhof, who was part of the 1974 Fifa World Cup-winning West German team. “As was everyone else over there.
“More importantly, everyone at the club saw Mubarak play, saw how good he is, how talented he is. Also, there is a lot of interest in sporting fraternities in Europe – in Spain, Germany, etc. – in establishing relations with Shaikh Khalid; they know the work he is doing for the development of sports in Bahrain.”
Meanwhile, Binahmed was confident that he also made a good impression on Borussia Monchengladbach’s coaching staff and players.
“I’m sure I created a pretty good impression,” he laughed. “Also, I know that a scout for another big club – or clubs – came to watch me at the try-outs.
“And, of course, given my dream of becoming a professional football player, it would be absolutely terrific, a dream come true, if Borussia Monchengladbach do decide to add me to their roster.
“But, even if that doesn’t come through, I will try and emulate (national team star) Abdulla Yusuf Helal, who is a fantastic player and has turned out for professional clubs in the Czech Republic and Indonesia.”
In the interim, though, Binahmed is also learning how to juggle his studies with his passion for football.
“BUB have been great in supporting me because they know that I play football seriously,” he said. “And I’m also learning about time-management and how to prioritise things.
“Also, my parents have been wonderful. You know, every parent wants their child, or children, to focus on their studies and mine are no different. But they are also very supportive of my playing football and I try and repay their faith in me by ensuring that I strike a good balance between the sport and my academic requirements.”
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