Bahrain has dominated the fourth West Asian Bodybuilding Championship to claim the fourth title.
Patronised by His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Supreme Council for Youth and Sports First Deputy Chairman, General Sports Authority chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee President, the two-day tournament, with 160 participants in the fray, was held at the Shaikh Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Hall in the University of Bahrain (UoB) Sakhir Campus on August 18-19.
The 180 contestants are from Bahrain, the UAE, Syria, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, Palestine, Lebanon, Iran, as well as a number of other nationalities residing in various West Asian countries after the decision of the IFBB to allow them to participate in it, namely Pakistan, Britain, Egypt and Nigeria.
Bahrain topped the table after achieving 280 points, ahead of the UAE (279 points) and Oman (169 points), who were second and third respectively.
They were followed by Syria (148 points), Saudi Arabia (79 points), Iran (41 points), Kuwait (39 points), Yemen (28 points) and Lebanon (25 points).
HH Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, GSA Deputy Chairman, crowned the winners, in the presence of Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad bin Saif Al-Sharqi, UAE Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation Vice-President, Dr. Abdulrahman Askar, GSA Chief Executive Officer, officials, sports personalities and senior invitees.
On the first day of the tournament, Bahraini bodybuilders bagged 12 medals, including 7 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze. On the second and final day, they clinched 16 medals, including 5 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze, to raise the kingdom’s tally to 28.
Commenting, Bahrain Bodybuilding Federation (BBF) President, Sami Al-Haddad, praised HH Shaikh Khalid’s patronage of the tournament, and the attendance of HH Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, GSA Deputy Chairman.
He also hailed the support of the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation (IFBB), and the presence of Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad bin Saif Al-Sharqi and all guests and prominent sports personalities.
He also paid tribute to the West Asian Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness for its support and the work team for the tremendous efforts it had exerted to ensure the success of the championship.
The tournament was organised by the BBF under the supervision of the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation IFBB and the West Asian Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness.
Source: Bahrain News Agency