Manama, Bahrain, October 15, 2025: National delegations from across Asia have started to arrive in the capital Manama for the 3rd Asian Youth Games which commences with the official opening ceremony on October 22.
Teams from the National Olympic Committees of Iran, Thailand, Kazakhstan, the Maldives, and Indonesia were among the first batch of arrivals on Tuesday, October 14.
While the opening ceremony is next Wednesday, October 22, competition in a number of sports – volleyball, handball, kabaddi, kurash and pencak silat - will begin from Sunday, October 19.
Alireza Padkel, Head of the Iranian delegation, emphasised the importance of the 3rdAsian Youth Games.
“Given that these games are for the youth and junior age categories our primary goal isn’t solely to win medals. Nevertheless, we have dispatched a prepared and motivated delegation that will secure the future of our nation’s sports across various disciplines,” Pakdel noted.
In a farewell ceremony for the Iranian squad – the fourth-biggest at the games with 237 athletes – on Monday, October 13, the Minister of Sports and Youth, Ahmad Donyamali read a message from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who praised the athletes as “proud ambassadors of Iran”.
