UAE Achieves Sixth Place Overall With 18 Medals At Asian Youth Games In Bahrain

The UAE has increased its medal count to 18 at the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, which runs until 31 October. Over 5,000 young athletes from 45 countries are competing. The UAE is participating in 19 sports disciplines at the event.

In a significant debut for camel racing at the Asian Youth Games, the UAE team excelled by winning four medals. They secured two golds and two silvers in both boys’ and girls’ categories. Mohammed Omair Al Rashdi won gold in the boys' competition, while Khalifa Suhail Al Ghafli took silver. Wasmi Al Balwi of Saudi Arabia earned bronze.

Latifa Mohammed Al Ashkhari clinched gold in the girls’ division for the UAE, with Aisha Abdullah Al Saadi taking silver. Eman Salem from Yemen secured bronze. This achievement highlights the UAE's commitment to traditional sports.

Show jumper Saleh Al Kharbi added a bronze medal to the UAE’s collection after finishing third in the individual show jumping event. Malaysia’s Jamal Al-Lail Princess Sharifah Aryel Boudriah won gold, and Iraq’s Mohammed Hammam Harith took silver.

National swimmer Hussain Shawqi also contributed to the medal tally by earning bronze in the men’s 50 m freestyle. He clocked 23.43 seconds after qualifying for the final with one of the three fastest times out of seven heats.

In cycling, Falah Al Nuaimi delivered an impressive performance by finishing fifth in the 15 km individual time trial with a time of 22:34.34.

Leadership and Support

The UAE remains the top Arab nation at these Games, ranking sixth overall with seven golds, six silvers, and five bronzes. China leads with 76 medals (38 gold), followed by Uzbekistan with 29 medals (14 gold).

Abdullah Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director General of the UAE Camel Racing Federation, stated that their success reflects strong leadership support for traditional sports. He noted that this backing has enabled them to achieve high levels of excellence across various competitions.

Al Muhairi praised both boys' and girls' camel racing teams for their dedication during training and preparation stages leading up to this event. Their efforts have added another milestone to UAE’s heritage sport at a major youth sporting gathering on the continent.

With inputs from WAM