Bahrain table tennis teams return

Manama, Aug. 30 (BNA): Bahrain’s table tennis teams made a new achievement in GCC Championships, which concluded in Sharjah recently. The nationals took eight medals in total, including one gold, three silver and four bronze amidst stiff challenge from other junior table tennis players from all over the gulf region. Ebrahim Habib and Salman Mohammed clinched the kingdom’s only gold medal at this week-long tournament, which took place at Al Shaab Sports Club gym. The tandem took the under-14 doubles title and with it the trophy. Rashid Sanad then took hom the under-18 singles silver medal, while the team of Anwar Makki, Mohamed Abbas, Mohammed Bushlaibi and Elyas Elyasi bagged the senior team event silver medal. Bahrain notched another silver through the team of Rashid Sanad, Hussain Al Ajmi, Murtada Hussain, Sayed Ali Mahmood and Saud Al Qassmi in the under-18 section, while Murtada and Sayed Ali added the under-18 doubles silver, then Abbas and Elyasi claimed another bronze in the senior doubles event. Murtada sealed his third medal at the championship by coming third in the under-18 singles, and Abbas followed suit as he also rounded off the podium in the senior singles section. Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) general secretary Abdulrahman Askar, along with Bahrain Table Tennis Association president Shaikha Hayat bint Abdulaziz Al Khalifa and other high-ranking sports officials, welcomed members of the team on arrival. Askar said he was proud for this achievement, which was as a result of the team hard working efforts before and during the tournament, in which some of the best rising table tennis players were in the fray. He dedicated this victory to His Majesty the King Advisor for Charity Works and Youth Affairs, Supreme Council for Youth and Sports chairman and BOC president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who has been supporting the teams for this major regional competition. Shaikha Hayat congratulated each member of the team on this remarkable victory, and noted the contributions of the teams’ staff and their efforts in working hand in hand with the players to secure this outcome.