Manama: Deputised by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports (SCYS), Chairman of the General Sports Authority (GSA), and President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC), attended the closing ceremony of the International School Sports Federation (ISF) Gymnasiade Bahrain 2024. The event was held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and attended by key figures, including Dr. Mohamed bin Mubarak Jumaa, Minister of Education, and Dr. Abdulrahman Sadiq Askar, GSA Chief Executive.
According to Bahrain News Agency, in his remarks, HH Shaikh Khalid expressed his gratitude to HM the King for his support of sports in Bahrain. HH Shaikh Khalid congratulated Bahrain’s school athletes for winning 66 medals, including 13 golds, which placed the Kingdom 13th among 71 participating nations, highlighting a significant achievement for Bahraini sports. HH Shaikh Khalid praised the r
emarkable performance of Bahraini students, emphasising the event’s role in creating opportunities for future sports champions. HH Shaikh Khalid underscored the collaborative efforts of public and private sectors in ensuring the event’s success, commending the Supreme Organising Committee for their exemplary work.
The closing ceremony included a parade of flags from the participating countries, and a speech from the Minister of Education, who highlighted the pride of hosting this landmark event. The Minister thanked the Kingdom’s leadership for their support of the event, which highlighted Bahrain as a premier destination for international sports events. Antonio Hora delivered the ISF speech in which he expressed his gratitude to Bahrain for its warm hospitality, exceptional organisation, and hosting of the Federation’s largest event. He highlighted the importance of participants competing in the championship while fostering connections beyond the tournament. This was followed by a performance from the Minis
try of Interior’s band and a short film summarising the event. The ceremony concluded with the tournament’s official song and a commemorative photo session with representatives from participating countries. The event, involving over 5,000 athletes from 71 countries, featured competitions across 26 sports over the course of a full week.