Manama, Bahrain, October 21, 2025: Amina and Laila were busily frying Khanfaroosh and Luqaimat – traditional sweetmeats – while the Bahrain Asian Youth Games Organising Committee welcomed the 44 foreign National Olympic Committees to the 3rd Asian Youth Games.
On the eve of the official opening of the Games, BAYGOC held welcoming ceremonies for the national delegations that could well become a template for future hosts of multi-sports events by keeping it short, simple and sweet.
Usually, a host city would hold around 10 team welcoming ceremonies at the Athletes Village a day – five in the morning and five in the evening – and stretch it over four or five days.
Bahrain did it in less than four hours on Tuesday, October 21, at the Athletes Hub, an outdoor venue opposite the sprawling Exhibition World Bahrain conference hall where almost 10 of the 26 sports will be held, plus the opening and closing ceremonies.
The 44 Asian NOCs were split into two groups of 22 in alphabetical order – the first batch from Afghanistan to Malaysia and the second from Maldives to Yemen – and then the Chef de Mission of each delegation was called up to the stage, one-by-one, to join BAYGOC Chief Operating Officer Ahmed Abdulghaffar who was officiating at the event.
A separate welcome ceremony was held for the 45th NOC – host national Bahrain – in the morning.
The police band played a drum tattoo as the country’s national flag was raised followed by the national anthem. The delegation head then exchanged gifts with the hosting Abdulghaffar, and it was all done and dusted in less than five minutes per NOC. It was short and sweet.
The Chinese national anthem was heard on three occasions – the first when the People’s Republic of China’s delegation was welcomed, and then followed by Hong Kong, China and Macau, China, both Special Administrative Regions.
The outdoor Athletes Hub, meanwhile, will be a hive of activity from Thursday, October 23, a day after the opening ceremony. Organisers have created a venue where overseas athletes can get a feel for the culture of Bahrain. A henna station will paint your hands and feet, there will be weaving and pottery demonstrations, and an oyster opening booth.
The Olympic Council of Asia initiative of ‘Guarding the Asian Games’ will be centre-stage with a booth highlighting the key facets of anti-doping, safeguarding and competition integrity.
And of course there will be local food delights. Amina and Laila were frying traditional Bahraini dumplings which were mixed with honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds. It was delicious. Other booths were selling ‘Ragag’ bread and kababs.
“It is all free for our visitors,” smiled Laila. Bahrain knows how to keep it short, simple and sweet.
