Multi-Sport Events – Bahrain is ready to deliver one of the continent’s mega multi-sport events later this year – and will do so in record time.
The kingdom will be hosting the third Asian Youth Games from October 22 to 31, featuring thousands of athletes – both boys and girls aged 14 to 17 – representing an expected 45 countries.
They will be competing in at least 21 sports, and will be showcasing their immense talents as the sporting stars of tomorrow.
The event’s official logo was unveiled last night in a special ceremony hosted by the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) at The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain.
Supreme Council for Youth and Sport first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority chairman, and BOC president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa was in attendance, along with representatives from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), including OCA director general Dr Husain Al Musallam.
BOC secretary general Faris Al Kooheji unveiled the third Asian Youth Games’ logo, which is shaped like a torch and which includes the OCA’s symbolic sun.
Bahrain was only announced in December of last year as the new host of this massive occasion following the withdrawal of original host Uzbekistan. With this edition of the Asian Youth Games being linked to the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal in 2026, the event could not be postponed, and Bahrain stepped up to take on the challenge of staging the event with less than a year’s preparation.
Al Kooheji speaks on the podium as the logo, right, is unveiled
“The OCA have full confidence in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Bahrain Olympic Committee to host a mega, multi-sport event such as the Asian Youth Games,” Dr Al Musallam told the GDN last night.
“The Asian Youth Games has different sports, and 45 countries will be participating. It has the requirement for the Olympic standard.
“This will give an opportunity for Bahrain to grow more for the future, and it will give a chance for us to have another hub, as a city and country, to host many more future events, not only at the Asian level but for the world.
“This is very important, and it is why the OCA have full confidence and trust in Bahrain. We’ve seen now after just a few weeks that we have the logo and so much more done, so everything is moving in a fast track.”
The Asian Youth Games is highly regarded as the second-largest multi-sport meeting in the continent, surpassed only by the Asian Games at the senior level.
The 21 sports in this year’s edition are athletics, badminton, basketball, equestrian, e-sports, futsal, golf, handball, judo, jiu-jitsu, mixed martial arts, road cycling, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, wrestling, weightlifting, kabaddi, volleyball, and teqball.
Across these, there will be 26 disciplines and 207 events – 94 for boys, 92 for girls, and 21 mixed.
A number of venues across the kingdom are expected to host the various sports, including Isa Sports City and the National Stadium in Riffa, Khalifa Sports City in Isa Town, Bahrain International Circuit and Bahrain International Endurance Village in Sakhir, The Royal Golf Club, and possibly Exhibition World Bahrain, it was announced last night.
Shaikh Khalid addresses the audience during the launch
“I would like to thank the OCA for giving Bahrain the opportunity to host the third Asian Youth Games,” Al Kooheji said during the logo’s launch.
“While you would need a sprinter to complete an event like this in 10 months, Bahrain is not only a sprinter, but a sprinter with great endurance, and that is what is required.
“Thank you to the OCA executive board for trusting in Bahrain to organise an event in record speed – and we will.”
Shaikh Khalid is heading the supreme organising committee of the third Asian Youth Games, while BOC vice-president Shaikh Isa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa has been appointed by the OCA as the OCA vice-president representative for the event.
“We are going to see all the best athletes in Asia in the 14-to-17 age-category coming to Bahrain to compete in their disciplines,” BOC executive director Ahmed Abdulghaffar told the GDN.
“We, as the hosts, will have our own array of athletes, and we are hoping to have representation in all the sports. Athletics is our strongest presence at the moment, and we are also expecting with the addition of more combat sports that Bahrain will be on the podium there.”
Abdulghaffar added that Bahrain is keen to build on the incredible success of last year’s ISF Gymnasiade Bahrain 2024 with the Asian Youth Games.
“That’s the key thing – building on the success of last year’s ISF Gymnasiade,” he explained. “We are confident as the venues are in place to host these games, and the only thing now is to have a 10-month turnaround or less to deliver the best edition of the Asian Youth Games.”
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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