Khalid bin Hamad praises youth participation

Manama, Apr. 29 (BNA): His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy President of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, Honourary President of Bahrain Mixed Martial Arts Federation, appointed Abdulrahman bin Sadiq Askar, Assistant Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, Secretary-General of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, to attend and crown the winners of the Bahrain Open Mixed Martial Arts and Boxing Championship, which ended yesterday at the Khalifa Sport City Hall. Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa praised the large participation of Bahraini youth in the Boxing and MMA competitions and for the outstanding performances they delivered. His Highness also praised the participation of national teams and clubs from the GCC, which indicated a clear success for this sports gathering. He praised the efforts of Bahrain Mixed Martial Arts Federation (BMMAF), headed by Colonel Abdulaziz Al Khayat, in organizing this event, which is the first official competition launched by the Federation, aiming to encourage the youth to practice and to expand the base of amateur martial arts and by creating the ideal atmosphere for them, especially one that goes in accordance with international regulations and is in line with the regulations of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF), contributing to the formation of national teams able to participate and achieve honourable results to strengthen the Kingdom of Bahrain position on the global sports map. HH Shaikh Khalid said: "We will continue with the efforts and support till we achieve our vision of promoting MMA amidst Bahraini sports and the region. Our goal is to see national teams that confirm their strong presence in various international forums and participations in order to reach a developed stage. Bahrain has made many gains in the sport of mixed martial arts, thanks to the support of the wise leadership and follow-up of 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. We have won our first three medals, the first at the European Open in Birmingham, the second in the World Amateur Championships held in Las Vegas last year and the European Open in the capital Bulgarian Sofia in March".