ASIAN YOUTH GAMES – BAHRAIN’S record-breaking delegation at the third Asian Youth Games (AYG) is set to feature a significant presence of female athletes, showcasing the historic development of women’s sports in the kingdom.
The Bahraini squad that will be flying the kingdom’s flag is its largest-ever for a continental age-group event, and 54 of the 204 athletes are girls, who will be taking centre stage at home.
They will be competing in 14 of the Games’ 26 sports, including athletics, badminton, cycling, camel racing, equestrian jumping, futsal, swimming, taekwondo, triathlon, table tennis, teqball, volleyball (indoor and beach), weightlifting, and wrestling. This makes for an historic occasion and a new milestone for Bahrain, affirming its position as one of the leading countries in the field of empowering female athletes.
At this year’s Games, they will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience interacting with many of the future stars of Asia.
Groups of these participating athletes from the 45 nations that are a part of the mega event have begun arriving in the kingdom. Bahrain International Airport witnessed a lively and vibrant atmosphere yesterday with batches of rising sportsmen and women reaching the kingdom. They included athletes from Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Pakistan, Iran, the UAE, Kazakhstan, the Maldives, Thailand, Singapore, and India.
The heavy traffic at the airport will continue in the coming days as many more athletes, officials, coaches, and support staff will be flocking to the island ahead of the Games’ official opening ceremony on Wednesday at Exhibition World Bahrain.
The third Asian Youth Games will be held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad.
More than 4,300 athletes, both boys and girls aged 14 to 18 years old, will be vying for nearly 2,000 medals that will be awarded across all sports.
Prior to Wednesday’s inauguration, a number of sports will begin their programmes from Sunday.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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