Sanya: The Kingdom of Bahrain's national beach handball team secured a victory over host the People's Republic of China 2-0 at the start of its campaign in Group A of the 6th Asian Beach Games, being held in the Chinese city of Sanya from April 22 to 30, confirming a strong presence from the outset.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the first set ended in Bahrain's favour (14-8), with the players imposing control from the beginning, benefiting from strong cohesion and physical readiness. The second set saw considerable excitement, as China led at times before Bahrain managed to come back and level the score in the closing moments.
The match went to a golden goal decider, where the fighting spirit of the players stood out. Mahdi Ali delivered a quick pass to Bilal Askani, who set it up for Ali Al Hayki to place the ball in the net, sealing the match in Bahrain's favour without the need for a deciding set.
The team delivered a performance reflecting the development of Bahraini handball, showing high spirit and strong focus throughout the match, which gave them the advantage against a strong opponent on home ground and in front of its supporters.
The match was attended by Ali Isa Ishaqi, member of the Bahrain Olympic Committee and President of the Bahrain Handball Federation, Fajer Jassim, board member of the Olympic Committee and Director of International Relations, along with Head of Delegation Ahmed Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar and a number of administrative delegation members, reflecting continuous support for the national teams.
Attention now turns on Wednesday to the city of Sanya, which will host the opening ceremony of the 6th Asian Beach Games at the Tianya Haijiao venue at 8:00 pm China time (3:00 pm Bahrain time).
The Kingdom of Bahrain's delegation will take part in the opening ceremony with around 21 players and officials, with national beach handball player Bilal Askani selected to carry the Kingdom's flag, in recognition of his status and role within the team.
Bahrain's participation continues its record in previous editions, where it has won 11 medals, including seven golds, reflecting its standing on the Asian sporting stage. The Kingdom is participating in this edition with a delegation of 42 members, including 21 athletes competing in four sports: beach handball, 3x3 basketball, open water swimming, and wrestling.