Shaikh Nasser : Ironman Championship to promote Bahrain

Manama, Dec. 8 (BNA): 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, President of Bahrain Olympic Committee, affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain has become a hub for the triathlon sport in the Middle East thanks to the international events the Kingdom has successfully embraced, in addition to the fact that many Bahraini athletes are actively engaged in this sport. HH Shaikh Nasser stressed that the Kingdom is constantly striving to continue better highlighting this sport. Speaking on the occasion of officially kicking-off the eagerly-awaited Ironman Middle East Championship, HH Shaikh Nasser underlined the huge aspirations of those in charge of the triathlon sport in the Kingdom of Bahrain and of their eagerness to spread it and position Bahrain among the top in this game. "The Organising Committee has added supporting events to this Championship, and this was broadly welcomed by the participants. They include IRONKIDS, and IronGirl, both of which carry noble goals. The Championship is expected to witness stiff competition thanks to the presence of many world champions, and a pool of extraordinary athletes from inside and outside the Kingdom. All indications and the general atmosphere surrounding the event suggest we are going to witness a highly competitive event," HH Shaikh Nasser explained. HE Al Jowder expressed his confidence in HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad's ability to continue the achievements HE Mr. Hisham bin Mohammed Al Jowder, Minister of Youth & Sports, confirmed that Bahrain organizing the Ironman Championship, one of the most prominent and strategic championship, will strengthen the Kingdom's position on the global sport map as a sporting, economic and media hub in the region, which reflects the modern face of Bahrain. HE the Minister of Youth & Sports, explained that due to the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, ruler of the country, Bahrain is able to become a regional hub in the Middle East for various sports under the follow up and care of His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister. HE the Minister of Youth & Sports, expressed his thanks to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, for his kind sponsorship to the championship, which confirms the keenness of His Royal Highness to support sport activities that promote the Kingdom. HE Mr. Hisham bin Mohammed Al Jowder, pointed out that His Highness 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, President of Bahrain Olympic Committee, has managed to spread this sport and form a team capable of placing the Kingdom at the center of global focus by organizing the Ironman race, giving the world a clear idea of the Kingdom's civilizational and developmental achievements. HE the Minister of Youth & Sports expressed his joy with the Kingdom organizing the Ironman race for the third year in a row, which the has participation of more than 3000 professional and amateurs athletes due to the popularity of this game and the facilities and outstanding organization by the Kingdom of Bahrain makes this to be one of the best Ironman championships at a global level. HE the Minister of Youth & Sports praised the efforts of HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa for achieving a positive result in the race, which adds to the outstanding achievements by His Highness in the Ironman race in addition to having the Bahraini team reach an advanced stage in the championship. The Minister noted the efforts of the work committees which will ensure the success of the global championship. Preparations continue The Organizing Committee continues its intensified preparations to hold the main Ironman race which has three phases, swimming, running and cycling. Preparations are conducted rapidly for the main requirements of the race in the championship's launch location at "Four Seasons Hotel" and the main location of the event at Bahrain International Circuit. These final preparations come under the Organizing Committee's keenness to have the tracks of the championships fully ready to receive 1200 participation from various countries from the professional and amateur category. The Organizing Committee began to receive the participants at "Four Seasons Hotel" and the Bahrain International Circuit to complete the registration process, as relevant committees are working tirelessly to finish this process before the launch of the event tomorrow. The rest of the committees are preparing for the championship, especially the media team that places a comprehensive plan to ensure the safety of the contestants. The volunteer team is doing what is necessary through a strategy plan to showcase the event at the desired level. Press conference The Organizing Committee held a press conference at the "Four Seasons Hotel" to speak about this championship in the presence of a number of journalists and media personnel. Several members of the Organizing Committee and previous participants participated in the press conference. Continuous visits The Organizing Committee continued their visits of schools to the championships, as part of the programme to educate students on the importance of exercising sports and safety. Several Ironman champions have attended the visits and the students had the opportunity to take souvenir photos with the champions. The step by the Organizing Committee received praise from the schools and confirmed that the students have benefited from the champion's technical guidance. Final training sessions The Ironman championship participants conducted their final training sessions in preparation for the championship start tomorrow. The training sessions gave an opportunity for the participants to know how prepared they are and a chance to know the circumstances of the race. The Ironman participants have begun to hand over the special stages equipment to the championship's Supervising Committee, as this is a formal protocol required by all the participants. Large crowd turnout for the "Expo" The "Expo" held alongside the Ironman International Championship, received overwhelming response from the companies that signed up to display their latest equipment for the championships. The Expo will be open throughout the championship and provides a wonderful opportunity to the sports enthusiast and athletes to shop for what they need under one roof. Dubai Sports to broadcast the event Dubai Sports channel in coordination with Bahrain Sports Channel will broadcast Ironman Bahrain due to the importance of the event that includes the presence of sports elite at an international level. Dubai Sports channel has sent well known media journalist, Hassan Habib to cover the event, conduct interviews and the results of the race.