Bahrain has announced a 197-member delegation for the inaugural Gulf Youth Games to be held in the United Arab Emirates from next Tuesday. Of the total delegation, 122 will be male and female athletes competing in 17 different sports. They will be accompanied by technical and administrative staff, as well as referees.

The Bahraini teams include a variety of athletes in different disciplines, including 4 men and women in athletics, 12 volleyball players, 4 men and women in Paralympic athletics, 8 men and women in table tennis and 2 billiards players. There will be 11 men and women in swimming and 4 in air pistol shooting. Cycling will have 6 proudly carrying their country's flag, while football will have the longest squad with 22 players.

Sailing will have a total of 4 competitors in both genders, while fencing will have 9 athletes. Badminton will send 4 athletes and chess 3, both men and women. The second largest sports delegation will be in handball, with 18 athletes going for gold.

Finally, in triathlon, 4 triathletes will seek glory for the Kingdom of Bahrain, while a judoka will do the same. The 33-island archipelago will also be sending 10 referees to officiate in various sports including volleyball, table tennis, swimming, cycling, football, fencing and handball.

Sheikha Hayat Bint Abdulaziz Al Khalifa, Vice President of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees, member of the Bahrain Olympic Committee and President of the Bahrain Table Tennis Federation, expressed her gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for organising the first Gulf Youth Games.

She emphasised the importance of supporting and developing the skills of participating athletes through competitions such as these, which have many positive benefits. Sheikha Hayat Al Khalifa defended the need for ongoing events such as the Gulf Youth Games. She stressed the importance of prioritising Olympic sports to strengthen the position of Arab athletes in international competitions.

She expected several positive outcomes from the Gulf Games, especially in terms of technical progress for both male and female players and the emergence of new talents. She also emphasised the importance of the tournament beyond the sporting competitions themselves. "Its impact extends to fostering stronger bonds and camaraderie among the peoples of the GCC countries."

She highlighted the event as "an ideal platform for exchanging experiences and knowledge among officials with the aim of establishing a common vision in line with the aspirations of the Gulf countries to enhance sustainable development and progress".