?SOME of Bahrain’s finest athletes look to improve on their personal best as the Fourth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) takes place from today (JUNE 29) in Incheon, in South Korea.
The Bahraini delegation, who arrived in the Far East last Wednesday, resumed preparations in their respective sports disciplines ahead of making their third successive appearance in the Games.
The opening ceremony is set to commence at 1pm (Bahrain time) and will take place at Samsan main sports hall at Incheon City.
Incheon Samsan World Gymnasium is the main stadium where the opening and closing ceremonies, e-sports, and dance sports are scheduled to be held.
Meanwhile, 29 of Bahrain’s most prominent athletes have stepped up their training as they gear up for honourable results in three out of the nine championships during the Games.
Bahrain, whose delegation is being headed by Bahrain Olympic Committee sports Affairs executive director Noaman Al Hassan, is set to compete in billiards, bowling and swimming events.
There will be two teams representing Bahrain in billiards, with the men’s squad featuring Ali Hassan, Saleh Ahmed, Ali Mohammed and Abdulla Isa, while Jumeya Al Doseri, Nahla Al Sunni, Fatma Yousuf and May Al Doseri are in the women’s section.
Both teams will have their final training session today at Songdo Convensia, where the billiards competition begins tomorrow.
In bowling, Bahrain’s eight bowlers had their second 45-minute practice session at Anyang Hogye Gymnasium under their coach Aref Mersal, who had attended the technical meeting along with Bahrain Bowling Association member Waleed Bashir.
Spearheading Bahrain in this sporting discipline are Masood Saberi, Ahmed Al Goud, Isa Abduljabbar and Taha Ebrahim, all in the men’s section. Fatema Khalid, Noora Al Janahi, Majda Taher and Layla Janahi will be competing in the women’s division.
Bahrain’s swimmers Farhan Saleh Faraj and Sameera Al Bitar have also been stepping up their preparations with two sessions per day at the Dowon Swimming Pool, which is 35 minutes away from the Athletes Village.
Faraj will participate in the men’s 50m, 100m and 200m style, while Sameera Al Bitar is in the fray in the women’s 50m and 100m freestyle contests, as well in the 50m breaststroke. They are joined by manager Khalid Ahmed.
Khalid Ahmed, the Bahrain swimming administrator who travelled along with both swimmers, attended the technical meeting held yesterday.
Meanwhile, Bahrain delegation head Noaman Al Hassan had met with the entire delegation at the Athletes Village and was briefed on the teams training programmes as well as any personal needs.
During his meeting with the players, Al Hassan conveyed the greetings and best wishes of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa to the delegation.