The government has been urged to appoint specialised sports coaches in Bahrain’s schools to identify and nurture athletic talent from an early age.
The proposal submitted by five MPs, led by Taqadumi Bloc member Dr Mahdi Al Shuwaikh, has received unanimous backing from Parliament’s services committee, which described it as a strategic investment in Bahrain’s sporting future.
“We have talented students across Bahrain, but talent alone is not enough,” Dr Al Shuwaikh said.
“What is missing is a systematic mechanism inside schools to discover gifted athletes early, monitor their progress and guide them along professional training pathways that can ultimately feed into clubs and national teams.”
Under the proposal, each school would be assigned a specialised coach whose primary role would be to identify athletically gifted students and work on refining their skills.
One of the core ideas is the creation of a national database to document students’ performance and development, allowing sports authorities to track emerging talent over time.
Dr Al Shuwaikh stressed that early identification is critical.
“International experience proves that champions are built young,” he said. “If we want Bahrain to compete strongly at regional and global levels, we must start from schools and build a clear bridge to academies, clubs and national teams.”
The proposal also seeks to strengthen co-ordination between schools and national sports centres and academies, creating a more professional environment for high-achieving students.
Supporters say the proposal could also create new employment opportunities for young Bahrainis specialising in sports training.
“This is not just about medals,” Dr Al Shuwaikh added. “It is also about opening doors for qualified Bahraini coaches and investing in youth development in a structured and sustainable way.
Services committee chairman MP Mamdooh Al Saleh said the proposal serves the public interest.
“The committee believes that discovering and nurturing talent should be a national priority,” he said. “Schools are the natural starting point, and having specialised coaches would add real value to the existing system by focusing specifically on talent identification and long-term development.”
The Education Ministry, however, indicated that the objectives of the proposal are already being met through existing physical education programmes and qualified teachers in government schools.
Education Minister Dr Mohammed Mubarak Juma said physical education teachers possess both the academic background and practical experience needed to identify promising athletes.
“Our physical education teachers are graduates of specialised programmes, many holding advanced degrees and coaching certificates,” he said. “They already play a central role in discovering and developing student talent within schools.”
Dr Juma highlighted a series of school championships supervised by the ministry, which have produced athletes who later joined clubs and national teams, as well as strong international results.
“Bahraini students have achieved outstanding success, including 66 medals at the 2024 International School Games and podium finishes at the International School Gymnasiade,” he said. “These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the current system and the dedication of our teaching staff.”
Despite the ministry’s reservations, MPs insist that appointing specialised coaches would complement, rather than replace, existing efforts.
The proposal will now be debated in Parliament on Tuesday.
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