GCC GAMES – Bahrain are gearing up to go for gold in 15 of the 18 sports that will be held as part of the fourth GCC Games in Doha, Qatar, starting next week.
This was revealed to the GDN last night by a Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) official.
The sports include archery, athletics, 3x3 basketball, billiards, boxing, handball, fencing, karate, padel, shooting, snooker, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, and volleyball.
Bahrain were also set to compete in basketball, but that tournament has been scrapped by organisers.
The BOC official noted that the participation programme for the kingdom’s delegation may change in the coming days leading up to the highly anticipated multi-sport spectacle.
The three other sports that will be held in the Qatari capital are bowling, equestrian, and squash.
The GCC Games are scheduled to get underway on Monday and continue until May 22, with elite athletes – both men and women – from all six GCC nations taking part.
The kingdom’s sports stars have already begun gearing up for their respective events.
Among them are Bahrain’s women’s and men’s 3x3 basketball national teams, who have been practising at Al Hala Club and at the Bahrain Basketball Association Arena in Um Al Hassam Sports Complex, respectively; and the men’s handball national team, who have been training under the supervision of Swedish head coach Robert Hedin at the Bahrain Handball Federation Arena in Um Al Hassam.
They will be amongst a field of close to 1,100 athletes who will be competing in Doha, according to organisers who were speaking at a Press conference earlier this week.
The GCC Games’ official mascot was also unveiled during the media gathering.
Named ‘Washeq’, the mascot has been inspired by the desert lynx, symbolising strength, agility, and a deep connection to the region’s natural environment, organisers said.
The sports in this year’s GCC Games are to be hosted across 10 venues, including Aspire Dome, Qatar Sports Club, Khalifa International Tennis, Squash and Badminton Complex, Lusail Shooting Range, Al Gharafa Sports Club, and other leading sports facilities.
Meanwhile, the BOC’s administrative mission that will be taking part in the event have stepped up their preparations.
Led by BOC Arab and international relations head Maryam Mardana, they have been racing against time to make special arrangements for the kingdom’s participation in Doha.
The BOC’s media team that will be covering Bahrain’s athletes have also met as they get ready for the start of action.
This year’s GCC Games follow the three previous editions held in Kuwait City, Kuwait in 2022; in Dammam, Saudi Arabia in 2015; and in Bahrain in 2011.
The nationals bagged a sensational 64 medals from the 2022 meeting, including 20 gold medals, 23 silver, and 21 bronze.
In 2015, they came away with 43 medals, including six gold, 21 silver, and 16 bronze; while in 2011, Bahrain came away with 19 medals, including eight gold, six silver, and five bronze.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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