Bahrain at Rio 2016

PROUD swimmer Farhan Saleh carried the Bahrain flag at the opening ceremony at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

He was joined by fellow swimmer Fatema Almahmeed and a small contingent of delegates as a total of 206 nations joined in the festivities at the opening ceremony on Friday at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

The 20-year-old’s Men’s 50m freestyle heat in Rio takes place tomorrow evening. And, Fatema, 17, breathtakingly dressed at the event in red and golden traditional attire, will take part in the Women’s 50m freestyle heats the following day.

Saleh followed in the footsteps of other prominent athletes who have had the honour of carrying the Bahrain flag in past Olympic opening ceremonies.

In 2012, women’s shooter Azza Alqasimi was the flag-bearer, while in Beijing in 2008, multi-titled women’s sprinter Ruqaya Al Ghasra led the team out in the Parade of Nations.

Bahrain is competing with its biggest-ever delegation in the Olympics, with 40 athletes qualifying and 32 of them set to be involved in the action in Brazil.

Rio marks Bahrain’s ninth participation in the summer games. Bahrain also took part in the Olympics in Los Angeles (1984), Seoul (1988), Barcelona (1992), Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000), Athens (2004), Beijing (2008) and London (2012).