TENNIS – Bahrain’s Hashim Altoobli claimed a sensational title double in the first week of the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) Bahrain 16 and Under Championship 2026, played at the Bahrain Tennis Federation (BTF) hard courts in Isa Town.
Hashim secured the boys’ singles crown and then teamed up with fellow-Bahraini Talal Alsayed to capture the boys’ doubles winners’ trophy.
Also in the competition, Oman’s Areen Al Azkawi came away with the girls’ singles title.
Following all the action, the winners and runners-up were presented their respective trophies and medals in awarding ceremonies attended by BTF president Shaikh Abdulaziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, BTF vice-president and the Interior Ministry’s Permanent Tennis Committee chairman Shaikh Khalid bin Rashid Al Khalifa, BTF secretary general Fuad Al Rowaie and other officials.
The tournament was the first of two successive ATF under-16 competitions being hosted by the kingdom.
The second has already gotten underway at the BTF premises and continues until Friday next week.
They follow a pair of ATF under-14 events hosted last month by the kingdom at the same venue, also featuring top youth players from Bahrain and around the world.
Hashim was the boys’ singles top seed in the opening week of under-16 action at the BTF and he lived up to his billing.
He secured his title after defeating Danijal Meskic from Bosnia and Herzegovina 6-0, 6-4 in their final.
Hashim and Talal were then also number one seeds in the boys’ doubles contest, where they won a hotly contested all-Bahraini final against Ali Alkhayyat and Yousif Kamal 6-1, 7-6 (4).
On the distaff, Areen secured the girls’ singles crown after winning against Bahrain’s Mariam Alabbasi 6-1, 6-3 in the final.
Mariam’s appearance in the title-decider confirmed the participation of Bahraini youngsters in all three of the championship matches in the tournament, which did not include a girls’ doubles category.
All are welcome to attend the second week of under-16 play at the BTF. Entrance is free.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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