Manama, Bahrain, May 19, 2023: Bahrain is set to compete in up to 18 sports at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China later this year, and the Kingdom’s national athletes are hoping for a record-breaking performance at the showpiece multi-sport event.
Details of Bahrain’s participation were announced on Thursday, May 18, by the Bahrain Olympic Committee in a press conference held at Wyndham Grand Manama in Bahrain Bay.
The Hangzhou Asian Games are scheduled to take place from September 23 to October 8, featuring the continent’s top sportsmen and women participating in 483 events across 40 sports.
BOC Vice President His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa revealed that the Kingdom’s athletes will be competing in 13 confirmed sports, including athletics, handball, boxing, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, rowing, shooting, cycling, table tennis, taekwondo and sailing.
The BOC is presently awaiting confirmation of Bahrain’s participation in five other sports, namely basketball, football, volleyball, e-Sports and cricket.
“This is a tremendous occasion for us,” HH Shaikh Isa said. “As Team Bahrain, we are going to Hangzhou to compete, under the directives of our president His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
“We have certain sports that we target—such as athletics, judo, weightlifting—that we feel we can get a great achievement for Bahrain.
“Team Bahrain always aspires to achieve the best outcome, and we have a proper plan and a proper strategy to achieve this goal. We are going there to participate and to make sure Bahrain’s presence there is a success.”
Also in attendance were BOC secretary general Faris Al Kooheji, BOC technical director Lounes Madene, Olympic Council of Asia Director General Dr. Husain Al Musallam, Hangzhou Asian Games supervision and audit department deputy director Xie Ning, and OCA project and operations manager Wissam Trkmani.
Dr Al Musallam praised Bahrain’s recent strides at the highest levels of sport, and added that he expects “the greatest-ever” Asian Games in history.
"Bahrain has won 82 medals since the country first participated in the Asian Games in 1974, and this shows the development of sports in this beautiful country,” said Dr Al Musallam, who is also the president of World Aquatics.
“I guarantee that this will be one of the best Asian Games ever in history, and maybe one of the best Games in history,” he noted.
Several other officials from the Hangzhou Asian Games, the OCA and Bahrain’s sporting community were also on hand, as was Bahrain’s Chef de Mission to Hangzhou, Ahmed Abdul Ghaffar.
