JANUARY
Nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb signed off from the 2024 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia with a stage victory for Bahrain Raid Xtreme (BRX) alongside navigator Fabian Lurquin in their BRX Prodrive Hunter.
Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler won the Bahrain Darts Masters 2024 after defeating two former world champions and a World Matchplay winner while hitting a stunning and rare nine-darter. Littler became the youngest player to win a Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) televised title, and was only the second to ever land a nine-darter on the world series stage.
Bahrain exited the AFC Asian Cup 2024 in Doha, Qatar following a 1-3 loss against Japan in the round of 16.
Bahrain captured the bronze medals in the 21st Asian Men’s Handball Championship, which was hosted by the kingdom. With their finish, the Bahrainis thus secured a berth in the 2025 IHF World Men’s Handball Championship, which takes place next month.
FEBRUARY
Isle Of Jura won the $150,000 Listed Crown Prince’s Cup at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club. Owned by Victorious Racing and trained by George Scott, jockey Callum Shepherd rode Isle Of Jura in the race.
South African golfer Dylan Frittelli was crowned champion of the Bahrain Championship 2024, part of the DP World Tour. It was his third career victory on the tour. Frittelli carded a closing round of one-under 71 to reach 13-under and triumph by two shots.
Formula 2 and Formula 3 pre-season testing was held at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir, featuring plenty of world motorsport’s future stars. BIC also hosted three days of Formula 1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing later in the month.
Jockey Gerald Mosse rode Parlando to victory in the Vision 2030 Cup – the 2023-24 finale of the prestigious Bahrain Turf Series at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club.
Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan was crowned champion of the Bahrain Ministry of Interior Tennis Challenger 2024. The unseeded competitor captured the coveted title after upsetting fifth seed Richard Gasquet of France 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the final.
MARCH
Max Verstappen led a dominant one-two for Red Bull to win the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2024 at Bahrain International Circuit. It was a record-breaking weekend that marked the kingdom’s 20th anniversary F1 race. A staggering 37,000 spectators were on hand at race day – the highest single-day attendance in the event’s history – while 100,000 were at BIC over the weekend, including 11,000 fans from overseas.
Isle Of Jura completed a remarkable winter campaign with an authoritative victory in the $200,000 Listed King’s Cup at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club. The King’s Cup, run in honour of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, was Isle Of Jura’s fourth and most valuable victory in Bahrain, competing in the colours of Victorious Racing, while trained by George Scott, and ridden by Callum Shepherd.
Al Ahli lifted the 2023-24 His Majesty the King’s Cup. Ahli won Bahrain’s richest annual football competition after defeating Muharraq on penalties in a thrilling final.
Goalkeeper Sayed Mohammed Jaafar became Bahrain’s most-capped international when the senior men’s football national team faced Nepal in the joint-qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027. That March 21 fixture marked Jaafar’s 162nd international appearance.
Dar Kulaib were crowned back-to-back champions of the Isa bin Rashid Bahrain Volleyball League.
APRIL
Al Ahli won the Crown Prince’s Cup in volleyball after defeating Muharraq in the single-game final.
Five-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one Martina Hingis conducted coaching sessions at The Ritz-Carlton Bahrain’s Royal Beach Club courts. She shared her award-winning strategies with club members and in-house guests.
MAY
Bahrain’s Royal Endurance Team enjoyed incredible results in the Royal Windsor Endurance event in the UK, clinching first place in the 160km, 120km, and 100km races. Amongst the winners were Othman Abduljaleel Al Awadhi, Ahmed Khaled Al Thawadi, and Cecilia Garcia, respectively.
Manama were crowned repeat champions in the Khalifa bin Salman Cup. They secured the 2023-24 title after beating Al Ahli in the tournament final. They later secured an unprecedented ‘three-peat’ in the Zain Bahrain Basketball League, also beating Ahli, this time in four games in their best-of-five finals series.
Bahraini snooker star Habib Subah won the opening round of the 2024-25 WPBSA Q Tour Middle East series, hosted by the kingdom.
Bahrain successfully defended their title in the women’s race at the 2024 World Military Half-Marathon Championship, held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Tigist Gashaw triumphed in the 21.1-kilometre run to claim individual gold. She was joined on the podium by teammate and silver-medallist Violah Jepchumba, along with Bahrain’s former Olympic champion Ruth Jebet.
The Rugby Club Jaguars were crowned champions of the 2023-24 Bahrain Netball League. The Jaguars secured the division one title after edging past the Dilmun Club Seals 19-17 in a thrilling title-decider.
Al Khaldiya were crowned back-to-back champions in the 2023-24 Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier League. Khaldiya secured the title in the penultimate week of league play.
JUNE
Bahrain captured three medals, including one gold, in the 15th World Military Golf Championship, held at Elephant Hills Golf Resort in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. After 72 holes of play, Sultan Mubarak claimed the seniors’ category title while Nasser Yaqoob made it a Bahraini one-two. The Bahrain team then came away with bronze in the men’s team event. Their squad also included Khalifa Duaij Alkaabi, Ali Al Kuwari, Hamad Mubarak Al Afnan, and Khalifa Al Meraisi.
Bahrain’s Royal Endurance Team captain Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa emerged as winner of the 120-kilometre ride at the Samorin International Endurance Championship in Slovakia. Competing on his horse Darco La Majorie, Shaikh Nasser led from start to finish. Teammates Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa on Jade Fnms was the runner-up while Yusuf Abdulnabi Aljaboori came third riding Loukario Desverrieres. Meanwhile, Royal Endurance Team riders completed a clean sweep of the podium in the 160-kilometre ride. Mohammed Abdulsamad Al Bastaki clinched first place, while Sarhan Abdulhamid Al Anazi was the runner-up and Manal Fakhrawi third.
Bahrain won 11 medals in the West Asian Snooker and Billiards Championships, which was held in the kingdom featuring 11 nations. The hosts came away with three gold, two silver, and six bronze medals – two of which came in snooker and the other nine in billiards.
Qatar bagged the gold medals in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Men, held in Bahrain. They captured the title after defeating Pakistan in a rocking final.
Supreme Council for Youth and Sport first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority chairman, and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa received the “Athena” – a prestigious award presented by the International Olympic Academy (IOA) to the Bahrain Olympic Academy (BOA). Shaikh Khalid was handed the award by IOA president Isidoros Kouvelos in a ceremony in Greece, attended by Greek president Katerina Sakellaropoulou.
JULY
Bahrain’s under-17 handball national team were crowned champions of the Arab Cadets Handball Championship 2024, held in Najaf, Iraq.
Bahrain bagged the bronze medals in the 18th Asian Men’s Junior Handball Championship in Amman, Jordan. They also booked their tickets to the 25th IHF Men’s Junior (U21) Handball World Championship, set to take place in June and July of next year in Poland.
Bahrain Victorious 13 star Cassandre Beaugrand of France overcame a world-class women’s field to become the first French athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in triathlon. Hayden Wilde of New Zealand, also a Bahrain Victorious 13 talent, bettered his Tokyo bronze medal with a silver in a thrilling sprint finish in the men’s event.
AUGUST
China were crowned champions of the 15th Asian Men’s U18 Volleyball Championship after defeating Iran in a thrilling final.
Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi etched her name into the Olympic record books after winning the women’s 3,000 metres steeplechase gold medal at Paris 2024 and setting a new Olympic record in the process. The reigning world champion put in a sensational performance in a thrilling steeplechase final, winning in a blistering time of eight minutes 52.76 seconds – a new Olympic mark.
Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser bagged a sensational silver medal in the women’s 400 metres at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The superstar sprinter put in a fantastic run in an historic final which was the first 400m in history where the first three women all posted times of sub-49 seconds. It was also the first time ever that all eight participants dipped below the 50-second mark.
Bahrain’s superstar grappler Akhmed Tazhudinov entered Olympic immortality after winning gold in the men’s freestyle wrestling 97kg competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The 21-year-old claimed a devastating win by pin against Givi Matcharashvili of Georgia 90 seconds into their final.
Bahrain’s Gor Minasyan captured the bronze medal in the men’s over-102kg weightlifting competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Minasyan secured his podium after registering a 461kg total in his event.
Bahrain’s cadets basketball national team won the U15 Gulf Basketball Association (GBA) Cup 2024 in Doha, Qatar.
Bahrain were ranked third overall on the final medal table at the end of the 2024 International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) Asian Championships in Lahore, Pakistan. The nationals came away with a nine-medal haul, headlined by the three gold medals won by Gimbat Magomedov (men’s welterweight 77.1kg), Sultan Gapizov (men’s heavyweight 120.2kg), and Gadzhi Gadzhiev (men’s light heavyweight 93kg ). The Bahrainis also captured three silver and three bronze medals to finish as the top-ranked Arab nation.
Bahrain’s world and Olympic champion Winfred Yavi claimed a dazzling victory in the Pietro Mennea Golden Gala meeting in Rome, Italy. In her first race since Paris 2024, Yavi set a new Asian and Bahrain record of eight minutes 44.39 seconds, which was also a new meeting record, the year’s fastest time in the world, a new personal best, and the second-fastest time all-time – just seven-hundredths-of-a-second shy of the world record.
SEPTEMBER
Bahrain came away with an historic 1-0 victory over 10-man Australia in their opening match of the third round of Asian qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026. An own goal in the 89th minute by Australian defender Harry Souttar, off an attempt to cross by Bahrain’s Abdulla Al Khalasi, was enough to separate the two sides at Robina Stadium in the Gold Coast of eastern Australia.
Bahrain made history after being crowned champions of the Gulf Basketball Association (GBA) Championship for National Teams 2024, held in the kingdom. It was the kingdom’s first-ever title in the GBA competition.
Bahrain Victorious 13 athlete Lauren Parker became the first Australian in 48 years to win gold in not just one, but two sports in the same Paralympic Games. Parker claimed gold in both the PTWC paratriathlon as well as the women’s H1-4 road race in paracycling, adding to her silver medal in the women’s H1-3 individual time trial.
Bahrain’s Paralympians Rooba Alomari and Husain Mohamed participated in the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Alomari and Mohamed had the honour of being the flag-bearers in the event.
Molly Carlson of Canada and Constantin Popovici of Romania were crowned champions of the Bahrain leg in the World Aquatics High Diving World Cup 2024.
OCTOBER
Bahrain were crowned overall champions in the Arab Billiards and Snooker Championships 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where they came away with 13 medals – five gold, one silver, and seven bronze medals.
A glittering opening ceremony was held at the National Stadium in Riffa to mark the official start of the ISF Gymnasiade Bahrain 2024. The multi-nation, 26-sport event was held under the royal patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Supreme Council for Youth and Sport (SCYS) first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority chairman, and Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa attended the inauguration, where he was presented with a token of appreciation by Education Minister Dr Mohammed bin Mubarak Juma.
The kingdom’s national netball squad, the Bahrain Pearls, claimed an historic first-ever victory on the international stage at the 13th Asian Netball Championship in Bengaluru, India. The Pearls registered an emphatic 63-26 result against Iraq for their lone win in the competition’s preliminary round.
Team Bahrain signed off from the ISF Gymnasiade Bahrain 2024 with a sensational medal haul of 66 after five days of competition. Their impressive winnings included 13 gold, 21 silver, and 32 bronze, won in the sports of boxing, athletics, Para athletics, wrestling, taekwondo, karate, Para badminton, padel, and handball.
Bahrain claimed a fantastic victory in the Bowl final of the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Trophy 2024 in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Aadam Syed of Pakistan was crowned champion of the sixth Bahrain Amateur Open golf championship, held at the Royal Golf Club. Syed clinched the coveted title after finishing the three-day, 54-hole strokeplay competition with a 13-under-par total of 203.
NOVEMBER
Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) continued their years-long dominance in the kingdom with a sensational World Endurance Championship (WEC) victory in the 8 Hours of Bahrain, powered by Bapco Energies, at Bahrain International Circuit. TGR’s #8 crew of Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa took the chequered flag after starting from pole.
Bahrain1 Racing team, owned by His Majesty King Hamad’s personal representative and Supreme Council for Environment chairman Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and their driver Jordan Lazic were crowned 2024 Pro Mod world champions in the NHRA Drag Racing Championship in the US.
Bahrain’s Royal Guard fighters put on a fantastic performance against the British Army boxing team in the second edition of International Boxing Night in the UK, winning six of the event’s eight bouts.
SPIRIT Dancer and jockey Oisin Orr lit up the sixth running of the $1million Bahrain International Trophy by becoming the first dual winner of the kingdom’s most valuable race. The historic victory made for another special occasion for Spirit Dancer’s owner breeder Sir Alex Ferguson, who was again on hand to welcome his winner with co-owner Ged Mason.
Vincent Luis of France and Georgia Taylor-Brown of Great Britain stormed to a Bahrain Victorious 13 double in the Ironman 70.3 Middle East Championship Bahrain 2024. The event featured a massive field of 1,400 participants, both men and women, representing 84 countries. They battled it out over a 1.9-kilometre swim, a 90km bike ride, and a 21.1km run.
Boxers representing Bahrain’s Royal Guard and the British Army’s Royal Engineers put on a fantastic show for a good cause in Royal Rumble III, the kingdom’s biggest charity boxing event. The hosts won six of the eight bouts.
Tom Sloman from Great Britain was crowned champion in the 16th King Hamad Trophy golf championship at The Royal Golf Club. Sloman secured the prestigious title for the second time in tournament history following a single-hole play-off against Hugo Trommetter of Morocco.
DECEMBER
Gor Minasyan bagged a silver medal for Bahrain in the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships 2024, which was hosted by the kingdom. Minasyan clinched his silver in the snatch portion of the men’s over-109kg competition.
Bahrain bagged 13 medals, including two gold, in the 2024 International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) Asian Youth Championships, hosted by Bahrain. The kingdom’s fighters also captured four silver medals and seven bronze medals.
Bahrain’s mixed martial arts (MMA) hero Hamza Kooheji and British MMA superstar Muhammad Mokaev delivered big-time victories to headline Brave CF 91, which marked Brave Combat Federation’s return to Bahrain in an historic year.
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