Paris : Bahrain’s 18-year-old swimmer Amani Al Obaidli, born in 2006, made an impressive debut in her first Olympic appearance by competing in the women’s 100m backstroke qualification on the third day of the Olympic Games, which are being held in Paris until August 11.
Amani Al Obaidli finished sixth in the qualifying round of the women’s 100-metre backstroke, setting a new Bahraini and personal best time of 1:04.27.
Amani Al Obaidli concluded her Olympic journey without qualifying for the second stage of the race, but she garnered widespread respect for her impressive performance. At just a young age, she emerged as a promising Bahraini champion, bolstered by her numerous medals at the Arab level and her strong presence in the GCC Swimming Championship.
His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, the Vice President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) and head of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s delegation to the 2024 Paris Olympics, attended the swimming competitions in Paris. He was accompanied by Faris Mustafa Al Kooheji, the Secretary-General, and several members of the official and administrative delegation.
On the other hand, the national swimming team member, Saud Salah Ghali, will begin his participation in the men’s 200 metres backstroke qualification at the Paris Olympic Games at 12:45 PM (1:45 PM Bahrain time) at the Paris La Villette Arena.
Saud Salah Ghali, who is in Hungary on a study and sports scholarship as part of the Olympic Committee’s Champion Making programme, is looking to set a new personal best in the 200m backstroke after he took part in the World Aquatic Games in Qatar a few months ago and finished the race in 2:21.94.
Since his international debut in 2016, Saud Salah Ghali has won several medals at the GCC level, including bronze at the 13th GCC Short Course Championships in Doha in 2016, bronze at the GCC Aquatics Championships in Dammam in 2016, bronze at the 14th GCC Short Course Championships in Doha in 2017, and gold at the 27th GCC Aquatics Championships in Kuwait in 2019.
At the Arab level, Saud Salah Ghali won gold at the Arab Junior Championship in Morocco in 2019, two gold medals and a silver at the first Arab Short Course Championship in Abu Dhabi in 2021, and two silver medals at the first Arab Junior Aquatics Championship in Egypt in 2022.
The Bahrain Swimming Association is counting on Saud Salah Ghali to become a future champion at the continental and international levels, given his potential and professional experience at the University of Hungary.
In the first appearance of Bahraini judo at the Olympic Games, Askerbii Gerbekov is hoping to achieve a positive result when he competes in the round of 32 in the U81kg weight category at 10:28 AM (11:28 AM Bahrain time) on Tuesday.
Gerbekov prepared for his Olympic participation in an exciting atmosphere through two training camps, the first in Spain and the second in Sochi, Russia.
The preparatory programme for Askerbi’s Olympic participation is supervised by Khalid Nabil Al Arifi, the Technical Director and National Coach of the Bahrain Judo Federation.
Gerbekov has a distinguished judo resume with many achievements in recent years, making him eligible to compete effectively if the draw and circumstances are favorable.
Under the competition’s knockout system, a victory will allow Gerbekov to progress to the last 16 and continue his journey in the tournament, while a defeat will lead to an early elimination.
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