HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad hails royal support

Manama, Mar. 24(BNA): HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy President of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and President of Bahrain Athletics Association (BAA) patronised the Traditional Heritage Challenge. The event was organised by the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) Traditional Heritage Committee in Abu Subh beach in the Northern Governorate. HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa crowned the top three winners during the closing ceremony of the event, which lasted for 12 hours, from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm. He honoured the sponsoring and supporting parties of the Challenge, including the Northern Governorate, the Northern Municipality, White Box Company, Al Shabka Company and the Palace Enterprises. At the end of the closing ceremony, Ali bin Shaikh Abdulhussain Al-Asfoor gifted HH Shaikh Khalid a souvenir on behalf of the Northern Governorate's people. The Challenge aims to revive traditional occupations held by old Bahrainis, such as fishing and farming. The event was one of HH Shaikh Khalid's initiatives in the sports and cultural fields. HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa said that holding such a competition comes in line with the vision of HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, to preserve the genuine Bahraini identity, stressing the importance of reviving various traditional games which are an essential part of the rich Bahraini history. He added that this event would contribute to spreading more information about the kind of jobs that the old Bahraini generations occupied to make a living, including farming and fishing. HH Shaikh Khalid affirmed that efforts would continue to cement traditional sports among the current young generation to ensure they are alive and pass on to the next generations. He hailed the efforts being made by HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Charity Works and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports towards reviving the traditional sports and bolstering their presence among the society. It's worth noting that Ismail Suwayed Saeed won first place in the Traditional Heritage Challenge after completing the event in 1.50.829 fraction of seconds. He was followed by Salman Yousif Salman in second place, while Yousef Abdulrahman came third.