Pakistani athlete Saqib Rahman has unveiled his latest tribute to Bahrain – a massive red-and-white flag – dedicating the feat to His Majesty King Hamad and the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF).
The 29-year-old displayed the 91.4-metres-long and six-metres-wide (300 x 20 feet) design at a local sports ground in his hometown, Multan, on Friday.
Although he had originally planned to present his work in the kingdom on December 16 to coincide with Bahrain’s National Day, he was unable to secure travel sponsorships in time.
Nevertheless, he remained determined to turn his dream into reality.
“When I visited Bahrain in March this year, I was deeply moved by the warmth and generosity of the residents, especially the Pakistani community, which inspired me on to see this project through, despite the challenges,” Mr Rahman told the GDN.
“As someone with a modest day job, funding this project was not easy but I was determined to reciprocate the love I received and honour this beautiful country and its people,” he added.
After facing a setback with local sponsorships, the humble toy and towel seller chose to fund the initiative himself, paying for fabric and tailoring, sports ground fees and the drone to film the final result, among others.
He expressed his gratitude to a local hockey club whose players came forward to help him with the large-sized display, free of cost.
The unveiling ceremony in Pakistan
The flag was designed from 120m of fabric, weighed 30kg and covered an area of 1,829sqm.
The recent unveiling was preceded by another tribute where the athlete raised the Bahrain flag at the Baltoro Glacier Goro Two peak in Pakistan, standing at approximately 4,285m (14,058ft). He held a portrait of His Majesty King Hamad atop the peak as a gesture of gratitude and respect and was joined by two other fellow Pakistani mountaineers.
The sportsman had visited Bahrain earlier this year as part of a cycling expedition.
In the past, the adventure lover has completed numerous hikes and cycling trips across the Gulf region.
Mr Rahman with his bike displaying the Bahrain flag
Speaking of plans for the New Year, Mr Rahman revealed that he hopes to scale Nanga Parbat in Diamer district in Pakistan this winter.
Nanga Parbat is the ninth highest mountain in the world, standing at 8,126m (26,660ft). It is well known for being an extremely difficult climb, and has earned the nickname Killer Mountain for its high number of climber fatalities and pushing climbers to their limits.
“Going into the New Year, I intend to focus on my job and sports activities especially the winter climb to Nanga Parbat,” he said, adding that if he receives financial support, he would love to visit Bahrain again.
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