ISLAMIC SOLIDARITY GAMES – Bahrain's historic campaign in the sixth Islamic Solidarity Games continued last night with the kingdom’s athletes capturing seven more medals, headlined by two gold, on the penultimate day of action in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The gold medals were both claimed in athletics by Edidiong Odiong in the women’s 200 metres and Nelly Jepkosgei in the women’s 1,500m on the concluding day of track and field events at Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Sports City Stadium in the Saudi capital.
Bahrain’s winnings yesterday also included four silver medals and one bronze.
Three of the silver medals were also in athletics, won by Salwa Eid Naser in the women’s 200m, Birhanu Balew in the men’s 5,000m, and the mixed 4x400m relay team featuring Naser, Kemi Adekoya, Musa Isah, and Alaa Sami.
The other was claimed in the fencing in the women’s foil team event, with the kingdom being represented by Sumaya Albuainain, Ritej Araoud, and Mariam Khan.
Bahrain’s bronze medal last night was taken by Noora Jassim in women’s shot put.
Yesterday’s winnings brought the Bahraini delegation’s medal tally to 30 overall heading into today’s final day in this year’s Islamic Solidarity Games.
The haul includes 15 gold, nine silver, and six bronze medals.
It is the highest-ever medal count for the kingdom in the history of the multi-sport event – already surpassing their previous best total of 23 in its 2021 edition, held in Konya, Türkiye.
In last night’s women’s 200m final, Odiong secured her second gold medal and third overall in Riyadh after winning in 22.99 seconds.
She pipped Naser to first place by 0.53s, while Kolle Etame Tonjock from Cameroon won bronze in 23.60s.
Odiong’s 200m gold added to her 100m title as well as her silver medal in the women’s 4x100m relay.
Naser also finished with three medals, with her 200m silver adding to her 400m gold and her other silver as part of yesterday’s mixed 4x400m relay team.
Jepkosgei joined Odiong and Bahrain’s reigning Olympic champion Winfred Yavi as double champions in this year’s Islamic Solidarity Games by taking her 1,500m crown.
Just a day after winning 800m gold, Jepkosgei followed it up by powering to first place last night in four minutes 21.56 seconds.
She beat Soukaina Hajji from Morocco by 1.21 seconds, while Hajji’s compatriot Bahiya Elarfaoui took bronze in 4:23.11.
The men’s 5,000m final featured a hugely exciting finish, with the top three being separated by just three-tenths of a second.
Balew narrowly missed out on a second gold in the Saudi capital by an agonising 0.14 seconds, with Mohamed Ismail Ibrahim from Djibouti emerging as the gold-medallist in 13:46.12.
Ibrahim managed to beat Balew and Samuel Simba Cherop from Uganda, who took bronze in 13:46.45. Balew had previously claimed the men’s 10,000m crown.
In the mixed 4x400m relay, Isah kicked things off for Bahrain before turning over the duties to Adekoya.
Sami then took over before passing the baton to Naser for the anchor leg.
The Bahrainis completed the four-lap sprint in 3:17.28 – a second behind gold-medal winners Nigeria who triumphed in 3:16.27.
Türkiye joined them on the podium in 3:17.73 for bronze.
Adekoya won her second medal of this year’s Islamic Solidarity Games, having also taken gold in the women’s 400m hurdles.
In the women’s shot put final last night, Jasim clinched her bronze medal with a best effort of 15.44m, which came on the third of her six attempts.
Emel Dereli from Türkiye won gold at 16.09m, while Oyesade Adetola Olatoye from Nigeria took silver at 16.05m.
Bahrain’s fencers bagged their silver medal after a 28-45 loss to Oman in the women’s foil team final.
Earlier yesterday, the Bahrainis defeated Indonesia 45-33 in the semi-finals to book their ticket to the gold medal round. Today, Bahrain will be looking to make a winning finish to the sixth Islamic Solidarity Games.
The kingdom’s senior men’s handball national team will be going for gold in their title-deciding clash against hosts Saudi at 4pm, while reigning Olympic champion and former world champion Akhmed Tazhudinov will lead Bahrain’s wrestling national team in their respective weight-classes.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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