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The kingdom’s sky lit up in spectacular style as His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa officially inaugurated the 1st GCC Games at the National Stadium.
Thousands of sports lovers watched the official opening ceremony of Bahrain 11 with the lighting of the cauldron from the flame of a torch that has travelled the length and breadth of the kingdom, heralding the launch of the sporting extravaganza. His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, was also present.
The ceremony was followed by a glittering firework display that resonated over the stadium and surrounding areas, thrilling the audience which included dignitaries, ministers, sports personalities, celebrities and local and international media representatives from across the region.
Following the lighting of the cauldron, the audience was also treated to performances by well-known Arab and international stars such as Abdulla Al Ruwaished and Aseel Abu Bakr Salem. The ceremony followed the arrival at the stadium of the final torchbearer from the torch relay that began at Bab Al Bahrain on Friday.
The sporting action started last Monday afternoon with Bahrain’s impressive handball victory over Kuwait, as reported in last week’s GulfWeekly.
At the official opening event, Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sport, president of the Bahrain Olympic Committee and head of the First GCC Games, thanked King Hamad for his patronage of the event, support for the Games and for his role in securing Bahrain as the first venue.
Shaikh Nasser reiterated his belief that Bahrain 11 will be a landmark event in enhancing relations with all GCC countries, while positioning Bahrain as a sports hub for the region. Shaikh Nasser highlighted Bahrain’s proud sporting history, first as hosts of the first GCC Football Championships in 1970 and hosts of the GCC Beach Games last year.
Among the activities and entertainment accompanying the tournament is the Bahrain 11 Village, which has been open to the general public on the Al Fateh Corniche in Manama. It has been created to capture the excitement and cheer of the Games and is already proving to be a great day out for families and the general public since its launch last week, the organisers say.
Bahrain 11 features over 1,500 athletes from all six GCC member nations competing in 10 sporting disciplines. The games have been held at nine venues across Bahrain and features football, basketball, volleyball, handball, athletics (track and field), swimming, cycling, bowling, in addition to goalball and table tennis for women.
Admission to all events has been free and Bahrain 11 will conclude with a spectacular closing ceremony on Saturday.
The GCC Games are planned to expand and encompass more sporting disciplines, paving the way for the birth of new generations of regional sport stars able to compete on the international arena.
The Games are also envisioned as a platform for the exchange of expertise between regional Olympic regulatory bodies to develop best practices that elevate the standard of sports, as well as bolstering the GCC nations’ position alongside leading countries capable of hosting events of this scale.
