ASIAN YOUTH GAMES – TWO sports have been added to the exciting programme of the third Asian Youth Games, it was announced yesterday.
The event’s organising committee, in collaboration with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), officially added Pencak Silat and Kurash, increasing the total number of sports in the Games from 24 to 26.
This year’s event will be held under the royal patronage of His Majesty King Hamad, and it will be hosted by Bahrain from October 22 to 31.
The Games’ executive committee chairman Yusuf Duaij Muhoorfi welcomed Pencak Silat head coach Teddy Suratmadji, along with his accompanying delegation and a representative from the Indonesian Embassy in Bahrain in a meeting, which took place at the committee’s premises in Seef.
The meeting was also attended by the Games’ sports director Lounes Madene.
Muhoorfi expressed his warm welcome to Suratmadji and his team, emphasising the committee’s commitment to preparing and organising the Pencak Silat competitions to the highest standards.
He acknowledged the sport’s widespread popularity across many regions in Asia, marking it as a valuable addition to the third Asian Youth Games. Pencak Silat events are scheduled for October 19 and 20.
Furthermore, Muhoorfi reaffirmed the executive committee’s dedication to ensuring the success of Pencak Silat and all other sports, in line with the directives of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority chairman, and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
He wished the coaching team the best of luck in managing the Pencak Silat competitions.
This year’s Asian Youth Games will see athletes looking to secure qualification for the Youth Olympic Games 2026 in Dakar, Senegal.
Aside from Pencak Silat and Kurash, the other 24 sports include athletics (track and field and cross country), 3x3 basketball, badminton, volleyball (indoor and beach, road cycling, equestrian (endurance and showjumping), futsal, golf, handball, Muay, jiu-jitsu, judo, kabaddi, mixed martial arts, table tennis, E-sports, taekwondo, wrestling (indoor and beach) boxing, triathlon, weightlifting, teqball, swimming, and camel racing.
The Games’ official opening ceremony will take place on October 22 at Exhibition World Bahrain. The inauguration will be held indoors for the first time, diverging from the traditional outdoor settings of previous editions of the Games, which were held in Singapore in 2009 and China in 2013.
Seven sports will start prior to the inauguration. They are: boys’ futsal, handball, and volleyball, starting on October 19, followed by girls’ futsal, kabaddi, teqball, and beach volleyball, all beginning on October 21.
The final day of the Games on October 31 will only feature men’s and women’s swimming events and their awards presentation, alongside the official closing ceremony.
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