Champions crowned on opening day as hosts shinees
Though the official opening ceremony isn’t until Wednesday, the 3rd Asian Youth Games competition got underway on Sunday across Isa Sports City, Um Al Hassam, and Exhibition World Bahrain, with Asia’s young athletes making their first appearances and staking their claim in the Games.
It was Bahrain’s handball boys who stole the headlines on opening day. Playing in Um Al Hassam Sports Hall, Bahrain dismantled Hong Kong 36–12 to kickstart their group A campaign. The hosts set the tone early, winning the first half 18–5 and never looking back. Fast breaks from Aadam Mohammed and Abdulla Ahmed and strong 6m finishes from Hasan Ali kept the scoreboard ticking. Bahrain’s goalkeeper rotation, alternating Ahmed Al Samahiji and Ali Al Mahroos, frustrated Hong Kong’s attacks and kept the margin growing through the second half (18–7).
The Bahraini squad — Ahmed Karrar, Salman Haidar, Sabt Qassim, Hussain Abadi, Mohammed Tarrada, Sayed Majeed Al Muhafda, Ahmed Eid, Ahmed Abdulla, Mahdi Ali, Ali Al Mahroos, Ahmed Al Samahiji, Mahmood Ahmed, Abuthar Yateem, Ali Hasan, and Aadam Mohammed — claimed a statement opening win in front of home fans.
Bahrain’s other debuts
At Isa Sports City Hall D, Kabaddi made its Youth Games debut, with Bahrain taking part in the first-ever match. The squad — Rahman Moshfiqur, Fares AlAenizi, Yaser Ahmed, Isamil Q, Noormahmad Saiyed, Ahmed Khan, George Paul, Jay Rion, Mohammed Aslam, Abdul Basit, Yaser Saiyed, Aatia AlThamer, Siraj Baksh, and Issac John — faced Pakistan. Bahrain lost 87–21 (50–7 first half, 37–14 second), but the team’s improvement in the second half drew applause. The match was witnessed by Mr. Ahmed Abdulghaffar, Director of the Bahrain delegation.
Martial arts under royal gaze
Meanwhile, at Exhibition World Bahrain, Kurash and Pencak Silat made their Asian Youth Games debut. Bahrain’s Hassan Al Laith (-65 kg) faced India’s Ohri Vaibhav in Kurash, losing by khalol, which is the highest-scoring throw in the sport. Laith’s bout was Bahrain’s first appearance in Kurash at an Asian-level multi-sport event, setting the stage for the discipline’s debut at the Games.
His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, Vice President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia, was on hand to watch both Kurash and Pencak Silat, highlighting Bahrain’s commitment to promoting these traditional sports.
The first gold medals of the Games went to Uzbekistan, reflecting the sport’s heritage and competitive depth. In the girls’ -70 kg Kurash final, Durdona Tursunova defeated Talaibekoova Saniet 10–0 by khalol, while in the boys’ -65 kg final, Otabek Yuldashkoev beat Iran’s Yousef Baghchighi 2–0, winning by chala, which is the lower-scoring but decisive throw.
In Pencak Silat, Bahrain’s Qasim Azhar (51–55 kg) and Jassim Al Sabaei (59–63 kg) also took to the mat, with Al Sabaei reaching the quarter-finals before losing 46–3 to Iran’s Alireza Mortazi.
More to come
Bahrain’s second day of competition promises a full slate of action across multiple venues. Beach Volleyball debuts at Sama Bay, with the boys’ team — Yaqoob Karrar and Warqaa Hussain — taking on Sri Lanka, while the girls’ team — Layan Majed and Maya Falah — face Maldives. At Um Al Hassam Sports Hall, the handball boys continue their Group A campaign against Maldives at 7:00 pm. In Kabaddi at Isa Sports City Hall D, Bahrain faces Thailand and Iran in their next group matches, aiming to build on the experience gained yesterday.
Teqball will see Ahmed Sharif compete in Group D against Mongolia’s Ganzorig Chinguun and Paracale Angelo, while Rawan Abdulaziz represents Bahrain in the girls’ Group A against Philippines’ Joellen Cruz, Lebanon’s Lea Khachiffe, and India’s Rajashree Gogoi. In the mixed doubles Group B, Sharif teams up with Fatima Albanna to take on Iraq and Philippines.
Bahrain’s Volleyball campaign continues in parallel, with the boys’ team facing Pakistan and the girls’ side also meeting Pakistan in preliminary matches, giving the hosts multiple opportunities to assert themselves on home soil.
