By Ashraf Hamed Atta
PARIS (Reuters) – Bahrain Olympic chiefs are convinced they are sending their best ever team to Paris and although they will again be relying heavily on athletics for success, there are high hopes of a first medal away from track and field.
The Gulf nation will compete with 14 male and female athletes in Paris, including eight runners, most born outside the country.
“This time we have a special group of athletes in Paris, the best ever to represent Bahrain,” National Olympic Committee Vice-President Sheikh Issa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa told Reuters.
“Bahrain achieved strong results in the last Asian Games and came out with a total of 12 gold medals, three silvers and five bronze medals. It confirms we have a strong base and a positive indicator to win medals in Paris.”
Bahrain’s four Olympic medals have all come in athletics with their two golds coming through Ethiopian-born Maryam Yusuf Jamal in 2012 and Kenyan-born Ruth Jebet at Rio four years later.
Winfred Yavi, also Kenyan-born, will be among the favourites in the women’s 3,000 metres steeplechase after being crowned world champion in 2023.
The country’s freestyle wrestling contender in Paris is also an import. Russian-born grappler Akhmed Tazhudinov won the world title in the men’s 97kg class last year.
“Tazhudinov has prepared well for the Olympics and hopes to add an Olympic medal to Bahrain’s haul,” said Abdulredha Abdulhussain Haji, President of the Bahrain Wrestling Federation.
“We are all optimistic that he will achieve remarkable results in Paris after winning world championship gold in Belgrade. He has been in sensational form this year and last year.”
(Reporting by Ashraf Hamed Atta, editing by Ed Osmond)
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