John Kibet will take part in the qualifying round of the 3,000 metre steeplechase today to launch Bahrain’s athletics campaign at the Olympics.
The Tokyo Olympic Stadium will be the scene of the athletics competitions, considered as the number one sport at the Olympics.
Kibet’s qualifying race will be held at 3.30am Bahrain time.
The 26-year-old runner made it to the Olympics after achieving a time of 8.20.78 minutes in the Games qualifier. His personal best is 8.09.62 minutes.
Bahrain are participating in the Olympics with a 13-member athletics squad. They are Al Siddiq Mikho (1,500m), Abdulrahman Mahmoud (shot put), Birhanu Balew and Dawit Fikadu (5,000m men’s), Alemu Bekele, Shumi Dechasa, and El Hassan El Abbasi (men’s marathon), Kibet (3,000m men’s steeplechase), Wenfred Yavi (3,000m women’s steeplechase), Kalkidan Gezahegne (10,000m women’s steeplechase), Aminat Yusuf Jamal (400m-women), Eunice Chumba and Tejitu Daba (women’s marathon).
Bahrain have had notable Athletics achievements in past Olympic Games. Runner Maryam Jamal won the gold medal in 1,500m at the 2012 London Olympics while, at Rio 2016, runner Ruth Gibbett took gold in 3,000m steeplechase and Eunice Kirwa won the marathon silver.
Since their arrival in Tokyo the athlete have been preparing for the tough challenges ahead.
Meanwhile, Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) vice-president and head of Bahrain’s delegation to Tokyo 2020 Shaikh Isa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa praised the achievements of Bahrain’s athletes in past Olympics and expressed hope that they will continue to shine in Tokyo.
Shaikh Isa was speaking while he received members of Bahrain’s athletics team at the headquarters of the Bahraini mission in the Sports Village, in the presence of BOC secretary general deputy head of the delegation, Mohammed Al Nusuf.
He welcomed the team and conveyed to them the greetings of Supreme Council for Youth and Sport first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority chairman and BOC president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, praising the preparations made by the team. He said that the achievement of Bahrain’s athletes in various regional, continental and Olympic competitions are a source of pride and urged the team to continue efforts for more achievements.
Shaikh Isa affirmed BOC’s support to the athletics team, calling on the athletes to intensify their efforts to achieve commendable results.
Swimmer Abdullah Isa, who took part in the 100m butterfly race yesterday, was disqualified after a technical error. Bahrain’s other swimmer, Noor Taha, is competing in the 50m freestyle today at 1.23pm.
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