Taekwondo has steadily grown in popularity in GCC countries Host country Bahrain is looking to dominate taekwondo in the Third GCC Women’s Games, due to begin on Sunday, BNA reports. The taekwondo competitions are scheduled to take place over two consecutive days on March 9 and 10 at the Bahrain Table Tennis Association gym in Isa Town Sports City, Riffa.
Bahrain’s coach Tawfeeq Nuwaiser has named his eight-member squad for the Games, which includes several experienced martial artists.
The full team is as follow: Dina Mahboob, Kaltham Johar, Jomana Mousa, Ola al-Dossary, Fajer al-Binali, Hanin al-Busta, Aisha Amir and Reem Abdulla.
Nuwaiser told BNA, the taekwondo championship will be a good challenge for Bahrain, with high-class taekwondo players from Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and UAE in the competition.
Nuwaiser and his squad have been in Amman since Saturday, for a week-long training camp.
During their stay in the Jordanian capital, the women will also participate in a number of friendly competitions against top teams from national taekwondo clubs and centres.
There will be four contests on the first day, including under-46kg, under-52kg, under-62kg and under-73kg weight categories.
On the second and concluding day, competitions in the under-49kg, under-57kg, under-67kg and over-73kg will be held.
Meanwhile, Bahrain’s bowling team have stepped up their preparations under national coach Abdullatif Rashid at Ozone Entertaining Centre in Sitra Mall.
Rashid's team includes Noora Sultan, the former GCC and Arab champion. Other bowlers representing Bahrain at the Games are Fatma Isa, Layla Janahi, Iman Aqeel, Yasmine Aqeel and Noora Janahi.
The squad will be reduced to four players just before the start of the Games. The bowling championship is scheduled to commence on March 10 and features singles, doubles and team competitions.
Bahrain’s technical team decided to increase the practicing sessions period as the tournament date approaches. The nationals are now training for two hours on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
According to BNA, eight sporting events are taking place in these Games, following the cancellation of the football championship due to the limited availability of the GCC teams.
The remaining six sports are basketball, volleyball, table tennis, athletics, shooting and athletics for the disabled.
The table tennis, taekwondo and basketball will all take place at Isa Sports City premises in Riffa.
Khalifa Sports City sports facilities, based in Isa Town, are to embrace athletics and disabled athletics.
Shooting competitions will be held at the shooting range in Sakhir, while Sitra Mall's Ozone Entertaining Centre will host the bowling event.