Bahrain ‘buying’ Olympic gold medals by importing African athletes for their team

PARIS — Bahrain Olympic chiefs are convinced they are sending their best ever team to Paris and although they will again be relying heavily on athletics for success, there are high hopes of a first medal away from track and field.

The Gulf nation will compete with 14 male and female athletes in Paris, including eight runners, most born outside the country.

“This time we have a special group of athletes in Paris, the best ever to represent Bahrain,” National Olympic Committee Vice-President Sheikh Issa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa told Reuters.

“Bahrain achieved strong results in the last Asian Games and came out with a total of 12 gold medals, three silvers and five bronze medals. It confirms we have a strong base and a positive indicator to win medals in Paris.”

Bahrain’s four Olympic medals have all come in athletics with their two golds coming through Ethiopian-born Maryam Yusuf Jamal in 2012 and Kenyan-born Ruth Jebet at Rio four years later.

Winfred Yavi, also Kenyan-born, will be among the favorites in the women’s 3,000 meters steeplechase after being crowned world champion in 2023.

Yavi, 24, said she has plans to emulate Ruth Jebet and win Bahrain the second Olympic gold medal as she moves through the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“I have a lot of respect for each and every competitor who has qualified for the Olympic Games. My team and I are focusing on getting ready,” Yavi told Gulf Daily News. “The Olympic Games are one of the biggest arenas in the world, and it is a proud moment for me. The best athletes in the world are at the Olympic Games. You have to prepare well.”

Jebet claimed Bahraini’s first gold medal in the women’s 3000m Steeplechase at the delayed 2016 Rio Olympic Games and Yavi will be looking to reclaim the title after they lost it to Uganda through Peruth Chemutai at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

The reigning world champion noted that this season, their main focus will be to surprise fans at the Stade de France with her impeccable run to win the women’s steeplechase. At the moment, Yavi is working on every aspect of her training as she looks to dine with the finest steeplechasers from across the globe.

The country’s freestyle wrestling contender in Paris is also an import. Russian-born grappler Akhmed Tazhudinov won the world title in the men’s 97kg class last year.

“Tazhudinov has prepared well for the Olympics and hopes to add an Olympic medal to Bahrain’s haul,” said Abdulredha Abdulhussain Haji, President of the Bahrain Wrestling Federation.

“We are all optimistic that he will achieve remarkable results in Paris after winning world championship gold in Belgrade. He has been in sensational form this year and last year.”

By REUTERS

Reporting by Ashraf Hamed Atta, editing by Ed Osmond

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