His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy Chairman of SCYS, Chairman of the General Sports Authority (GSA), and President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC), chaired the fourth board meeting of the BOC at Al Wadi Palace on Monday, in the presence of HH Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, the Vice President, board members, and Faris Al Kooheji, the Secretary-General.

His Highness praised the achievements of the Bahrain Olympic Committee and its support for ‘Team Bahrain’. HH Shaikh Khalid emphasised the importance of preparing for upcoming tournaments, particularly the 2024 Paris Olympics, which begin on July 26.

HH Shaikh Khalid emphasised the need to review and assess financial allocations for external participations in the committee’s financial regulations in light of current developments.

During the meeting, the board approved the minutes of the previous meeting and reviewed the Olympic Committee’s financial report for 2023 and the financial plan for January to June 2024.

The meeting also reviewed the evaluation of sports federations, external participation plans for 2024, preparations of players for the 2024 International School Games, and plans to host the Asian Regional Forum of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

The BOC Secretary General provided updates on the Champion Making Programme, the National Centre for Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation report, the Olympic Academy report, and the Committee for Equal Opportunities and Gender Balance in Sport report during the meeting.

The Secretary General gave a briefing on the preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics after the qualification of Bahrain in four sports which are athletics, judo, weightlifting and wrestling. He also gave a special presentation on the Kingdom of Bahrain hosting the World High Diving Championships which is a qualifier for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, hosting the 2024 Global Footgolf Tour, the World Weightlifting Championships and organising the fourth edition of the Baby Olympics.

HH Shaikh Khalid praised the efforts exerted by the BOC’s executive body and the important role it plays in supporting national teams and hosting many international sporting events in cooperation with sports federations, wishing the Bahraini sports sector further progress and development.

BNA