BAHRAIN’s national bowling men’s and women’s teams have stepped up their preparations for this month’s Fourth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG), to be held in Incheon, in South Korea.
Eight bowlers in total will be spearheading Bahrain in the eight-day event, scheduled to take place from June 29 to July 6.
Four players have been chosen for the men’s team, namely Masaud Sabery, Ahmed Al Gaud, Isa Abduljabbar and Taha Ebrahim.
The remaining four, set to compete in the women’s section, are to be announced later this week before the team departures for the Far East. Both teams are being managed by national coach Aref Mersal, a former national team bowler.
According to Bahrain Bowling Association’s national teams manager Khalid Al Khaja, the teams have been training three times per week at Alba Club Gym in Riffa.
They will enter an extensive training programme next week in order to improve the players’ overall physical readiness ahead of the Games.
Al Khaja said that the Asian Indoor Games represents a true opportunity for those young Bahraini bowlers to capture more experience and confidence, which would be crucial for their next participation in the World Championships in August in Nevada, the US, as well as the Asian Championship in September in Hong Kong.
More than 4,000 people, including athletes, officials and media, will be flying to the far east for the Games, featuring nine sports.
There will be competitions in billiards, bowling, chess and baduk (Go), electronic sports, dance sport, futsal, indoor kabaddi, kickboxing and muay, kurash and short course swimming 25m.
The fourth AIMAG will be a high-profile test event for the 17th Asian Games in Incheon the following year. It will be the first OCA Games to combine the Asian Indoor Games and the Asian Martial Arts Games.
The Games provides a large-scale regional competitive arena for a wide range of categories such as Muay Thai, dance sport, billiards, futsal and electronic gaming over 100 events.
Nine venues will be specially prepared for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, along with an Athletes’ Village and planned recruitment of 3,000 volunteers for the event.
Venues include seven existing and two new for swimming and futsal, besides five for training. The opening and closing ceremonies will both take place at Samsan World Gymnasium.
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