Sport in Bahrain

A variety of sports in Bahrain are popular and widespread. Association football is the most popular sport in the country.[1] Other traditionally-popular sports include basketball, volleyball and handball. Sports such as horse racing, mixed martial arts and rugby union have gained popularity over the past few decades.

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Mixed Martial Arts
Main article: Brave Combat Federation
Mixed Martial Arts event in Bahrain

Mixed martial arts is legalised in Bahrain. Bahrain MMA Federation (BMMAF) has been set up under the patronage of Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.[2] The development of MMA in the nation is convened through KHK MMA, which owns Brave Combat Federation which is the largest Mixed Martial Arts promotion in the Middle East.[3] Bahrain hosted Amateur World Championships in 2017, 2018, and 2019 in association with International Mixed Martial Arts Federation. Bahrain will be the first Asian and Arab country to host the amateur MMA championship.[4].

Team Bahrain is also the number one ranked MMA team in the world, as well as having the pound-for-pound number one amateur fighter in the world, two-time Super Heavyweight world champion Pasha Kharkhachaev [5]

BRAVE Combat Federation was established on 23 September 2016 by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.[6] The organization based in Bahrain has showcased 34 events to date[7], in 19 different countries around the world, including five of its best shows taking place in the Kingdom itself.

Since its inception, the promotion has been known for empowering the sport throughout the world [8], mixing local fighters with international stars in all the territories it lands, as well as collaborating with local federations and organizations towards the empowerment of the sport at a local level.

Event Country Location Date
Brave 34 Slovenia Halal Tivoli, Ljubljana 19 January 2020
Brave 33 Saudi Arabia Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah 28 December 2019
Brave 32 Kyrgyzstan Sport Palace Kozhomkul, Bishkek 14 December 2019
Brave 31 South Africa Sibaya Casino, Durban 7 December 2019
Brave 30 India Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad 23 November 2019
Brave 29 Bahrain Khalifa Sports City Arena, Isa Town 15 November 2019
Brave 28 Romania Beraria H, Bucharest 28 October 2019
Brave 27 United Arab Emirates Mubadala Arena, Abu Dhabi 4 October 2019
Brave 26 Colombia Coliseo Hernán Jaramillo, Salitre, Bogota 7 September 2019
Brave 25 Brazil Arena Minas Tênis Clube, Belo Horizonte 30 August 2019
Brave 24: London United Kingdom Copper Box Arena, London 25 July 2019
Brave 23: Pride and Honor Jordan Martyr Rashid Al-Ziyoud Hall, Amman 19 April 2019
Brave 22: Storm of Warriors Philippines Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay 15 March 2019
Brave 21 Saudi Arabia King Abdullah Sports City Indoor Sports Hall, Jeddah 28 December 2018
Brave 20 India Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad 22 December 2018
Brave 19 South Africa Johannesburg 8 December 2018
Brave 18 Bahrain Khalifa Sports City Arena, Isa Town 16 November 2018
Brave 17 Pakistan Lahore 27 October 2018
Brave 16 United Arab Emirates Mubadla Arena, Abu Dhabi 21 September 2018
Brave 15 Colombia Bucaramanga 7 September 2018
Brave 14 Morocco Tangier 18 August 2018
Brave 13: European Evolution Northern Ireland SSE Arena, Belfast 9 June 2018
Brave 12: KHK Legacy Indonesia Jakarta 11 May 2018
Brave 11 Brazil Belo Horizonte 13 April 2018
Brave 10: The Kingdom Rises Jordan Prince Hamzah Sporting Hall, Amman 2 March 2018
Brave 9: The Kingdom of Champions Bahrain Khalifa Sports City Arena, Isa Town 17 November 2017
Brave 8: The Rise of Champions Brazil Taruma, Curitiba 12 August 2017
Brave 7: Untamed Mexico Caliente Casino, Tijuana 29 July 2017
Brave 6: Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Almaty Arena, Almaty 29 April 2017
Brave 5: Go For Glory India Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium, Mumbai 23 April 2017
Brave 4: Unstoppable United Arab Emirates IPIC Arena, Abu Dhabi 31 March 2017
Brave 3: Battle in Brazil Brazil Max Rosenmann Arena, Curitiba 18 March 2017
Brave 2: Dynasty Bahrain Khalifa Sports City Arena, Isa Town 2 December 2016
Brave: The Beginning Bahrain Khalifa Sports City Arena, Isa Town 23 September 2016

Football
Main articles: Football in Bahrain and Bahrain national football team

Bahrain has its own top-tier domestic professional football league, the Bahraini Premier League. It features 10 football clubs that play a two-round robin set, with each team playing a total of 18 fixtures.[9] The winners of the domestic championship qualify for the AFC Cup.

The league uses a promotion and relegation system with the Bahraini Classification League, Bahrain's second tier football league. The season usually starts in September and concludes in May, as in other football leagues. The first season was held in 1952. Although games are played on a home and away basis, almost all games are played at the Bahrain National Stadium.

The bottom placed club is relegated with the team finishing second bottom entering a relegation/promotion playoff match. The most successful club in the league's history is Al-Muharraq SC. The current reigning champion of the 2011-2012 football season is Riffa club.[10]

The Bahrain national football team playing Australia on June 10, 2009 in a World Cup qualifier

After Bahrain will host for football a 24 Arabian Gulf Cup, AFC Asian Cup 2009 with World Cup

Club
- Bahrain Riffa Club (includes West Riffa)10
Bahrain Club5
Al-Ahli5
Arabi Club1
Al Hala1
Al-Nasr1
East Riffa Club1

Basketball

Bahrain has a professional basketball league, featuring 11 club teams. The top four teams of the league, at the end of the season, move on to the 'Golden Square', where the top seeds play the fourth seeds and the second take on the third in separate best-of-three series. The best-of-five championship series follows.

In addition to the league, a basketball cup, the Zain Bahrain Basketball Cup, is available where the top two teams at the end will then battle for the Cup in a[best-of-three finale. The winner of the cup will represent Bahrain in the Asian Clubs Basketball Championships.[11]

Both the league and cup is sponsored by Zain.[12]

The overall league champions will be given the chance of representing Bahrain in the Arab Club Basketball Championship, held in the following year.[13]

Rugby union
Main article: Rugby union in Bahrain

Rugby sevens and full rugby union are played in Bahrain, with the Bahrainis having their own national sevens team. Bahrain's Rugby Football Club was first founded in 1970, as a branch of the local British Club. It has its own rugby league.[14] Bahrain also has its own national sevens rugby team.

Cricket
Official Poster of the Bahrain Premier League 2018

Professional Cricket is governed by the Bahrain Cricket Association.[15] The sport is largely popular amongst South Asian expatriates in the country.[16] Bahrain has a national cricket team which first international appearance was at the ACC Trophy in 2004, where they failed to progress beyond the first round. They took part in the tournament again in August 2006, putting in a much better performance to finish in 6th place. Earlier in the year they won the ACC Middle East Cup, beating Afghanistan in the final.[17]

In 2018, franchise based T20 cricket was introduced for the first time in Bahrain.[18] Six teams were featured in the first edition of the event. The teams were SRam MRam Falcons, Kalaam Knight-Riders, Intex Lions, Bahrain Super Giants, Four Square Challengers and Awan Warriors.[19]

Bahrain's debut in the ICC World Cricket League was in 2009 when they won the 2009 Global Division Seven tournament and hence advancing to Division Six.[20] They had another strong tournament in Division Six, coming runners up and gaining back to back promotions in the process. In 2010 they competed in Division Five in Nepal.[20] In November 2009 Bahrain played in the 2009 ACC Twenty20 Cup. They finished bottom of Group B, losing all five of their matches on the process. In the eleventh placed playoff Bahrain defeated China by 93 runs to finish the tournament in eleventh place.

The country also has its own cricket league, with 48 teams and over 750 cricketers playing in the Bahrain Cricket League.[21] The league was founded in 1981 under the name "Junior Cricket League" and initially had 4 teams. By 2010, this had risen to 46.[22]

Equestrianism
Horse racing in the Sakhir track

Equestrian sports are one of the most popular sports in the country.[23] Horse riding is governed by the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (BREEF) which was founded in 2003, having replaced the previous governing body, the Bahrain Equestrian Association.[24] The BREEF is headquartered in the town of Awali, south of the capital Manama.[24] The first ever Endurance racing started on 7 October 2004 with the grand event, of a distance of 120 km, being held on 7 December that year.[24] In 2005, the 'World Championship for Juniors and Young Riders' race was held in Bahrain, attracting international riders and attention.[24]

Bahrain has been a member of the International Equestrian Federation since 1985, a member of the Asian Equestrian Association since 1989 and a member of the Pan-Arab Equestrian Federation since 1990.[24]

The kingdom is home to multiple training stables.[25][26][27]

Show jumping

The official sport of show jumping has its origins in Bahrain dating back to 1976. The sport was first played by the modern pentathlon team of the Bahrain Defense Force.[24] In the year 1986, the Safria Team was established for representing the Kingdom of Bahrain in both the military and civil show jumping championships abroad.[24]

F1 and Motorsports
Main article: Bahrain Grand Prix
The podium ceremony of the 2007 Bahrain Grand Prix.

Motorsport is one of the most popular sports in Bahrain. Bahrain has a Formula One race-track, which hosted the inaugural Gulf Air Grand Prix on 4 April 2004, the first in an Arab country. This was followed by the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2005. Bahrain hosted the opening Grand Prix of the 2006 season on 12 March of that year. Both the above races were won by Fernando Alonso of Renault. The 2007 event took place on 13, 14 April and 15.[28]

The latest edition of the Bahrain Grand Prix was the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix, that occurred despite concerns of the safety of the teams and the ongoing protests in the country.[29] Sebastian Vettel won the race. The race's opponents described the decision to hold the race despite ongoing protests and violence[30] as one of the most controversial Grand Prix in the sport's history.[31][32][33]

In 2006, Bahrain also hosted its inaugural Australian V8 Supercar event dubbed the "Desert 400". The V8s will return every November to the Sakhir circuit. The Bahrain International Circuit also features a full length drag strip where the Bahrain Drag Racing Club has organised invitational events featuring some of Europe's top drag racing teams to try to raise the profile of the sport in the Middle East.[34]

Olympics
Main article: Bahrain at the Olympics

At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England, runner Maryam Yusuf Jamal became Bahrain's first Olympic medalist when she won a bronze in the women's 1,500m race. Jamal is the first female athlete from a Persian Gulf nation to win an Olympic medal Bahrain will host a 19 Asian Games 2009 there are 8 stadiums are: Northern City Athletics, Durrat Al Bahrain Aquactics, Tree of Life Fencing, Marasi Al Bahrain Beach Volleyball, Bahrain Bay Cycling, Bahrain International Circuit Badmintion and King Fahd Causeway football Stadium and host cities are: Manama, Muharraq, Isa Town, Riffa, Sitra, King Fahd Causeway (Bahraini Side), Durrat Al Bahrain and Diyar Al Muharraq .[35]

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References
  1. It's a goal!, Gulf Daily News. Retrieved on 15 June 2012
  2. Duane Finley (20 August 2015). "The Fighting Life: The Rise of MMA in Bahrain". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  3. "Brave To Host 9 Events in Middle East in 2017; UAE to Have An Edition in March". ArabsMMA. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  4. http://www.bna.bh/portal/en/news/768250
  5. "Team Bahrain follows up top ranking with the number one fighter in the world, Pasha Khakhachaev - Bahrain This Week".
  6. "A Brave New World - Interview - Gulf Insider - The Arabian Review".
  7. https://www.sherdog.com/events/Brave-CF-34-Brave-Combat-Federation-83399
  8. "Slovenia debut for Bahrain's BRAVE CF deemed a "massive success" - BNA".
  9. Bahraini Premier League, Goalzz.com, retrieved on 15 June 2012.
  10. Riffa regains Bahrain Premier League crown, Gulf Daily News, retrieved on 15 June 2012.
  11. New Format for Basketball league. Gulf Daily News, dated 4 August 2009.
  12. Zain backs Bahrain Basketball League, Gulf Daily News. Dated 24 October 2010.
  13. 2012 Arabian Gulf Basketball Clubs Championship, Goalzz.com
  14. History. Bahrain Rugby Football Club, retrieved on 15 June 2012.
  15. "Bahrain Cricket Association Official Website". Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  16. "Bahrain Cricket fansite". BahrainCricket. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  17. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/97/97130.html
  18. http://www.newsofbahrain.com/viewNews.php?ppId=40142&pid=21&MNU=
  19. http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/297031/KHK-Sports-to-launch-Bahrain-Premier-League
  20. "Bahrain profile". Asian Cricket Council. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  21. "Bahrain Cricket League Official Website". BCL. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  22. "Bahrain Cricket League History". BCL. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  23. "Things to Do in Bahrain - Horse Riding". AsiaRooms.com. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  24. "BREEF: History". Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  25. "Twin Palms Riding Centre". Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  26. "Horseback riding in Bahrain". Horse-Riding.net. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  27. "Horse Riding". TimeOut Bahrain. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  28. "Bahrain International Circuit". Bahraingp.com.bh. Archived from the original on 29 March 2004. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
  29. Pleitgen, Frederik (18 April 2012). "Bahrain circuit boss: Race not a big risk". CNN Edition. CNN. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  30. "Press Release: FIA Formula One World Championship – Bahrain Grang Prix". FIA.com. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 13 April 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  31. Taylor, Jerome; Tremayne, David (21 April 2012). "Rage against the Formula One machine". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  32. "Clashes in Bahrain ahead of F1 race". Al Jazeera. Qatar Media Group. 20 April 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  33. "Protests As Anger Over Bahrain F1 Race Grows". Sky News Online. News Corporation. 20 April 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  34. "BIC: Drag Racing". Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  35. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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