Athletes in action during their games at AWST 2024 in Sharjah.

Sharjah: The athletics games at the ongoing seventh edition of the Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST 2024), which kicked off on Thursday, have already witnessed remarkable achievements, with Bahrain leading the charge by securing an impressive haul of five coloured medals.

Hosted at Al Thiqah Club in Sharjah, the games have seen athletes from across the region showcase their prowess in a series of finals that took place in the evening, following the preliminary rounds earlier in the day.

The games were held under the presence of Sheikha Hayat Bint Abdulaziz Al Khalifa, Chairwoman of the Equal Opportunities and Gender Equality Committee at the Arab National Olympic Committees, Major General Muhammad Abdullah Al-Murr, President of the Athletics Federation, Nabil Ashour, President of the UAE Handball Federation, Chairman of the Technical Committee of AWST, and Talal Mansour Al-Rahim, retired Qatari sprinter who competed mainly in the 100 metres.

Bahrain’s stellar performance has been the highlight of the tournament so far. They claimed two golds in the 100m hurdles and the 1000m race, complemented by three silver medals in the 100m sprint, 1000m race, and the hammer throw.

Iraqi athletes showcased their skills, securing four coloured medals, including a coveted gold in the long jump, a silver and bronze in the 100m hurdles, and another bronze in the 10,000m sprint.

Meanwhile, Libya secured a gold medal in the discus throw, Lebanon won a gold medal in the 100m sprint, Egypt received a silver medal in the 100m sprint, Kuwait took home two bronze medals in the hammer throw and the long jump, and Oman earned a bronze in the 100m sprint.

Bahraini Pontio Rebeto and Taghast Biyali dominated the 10,000m sprint, clinching the gold and silver medals with 34:02.33 and 34:02.79 minutes, respectively. Iraqi Diana Lami bagged the bronze medal with her time of 39:02.52.

Aminat Jamal continued Bahrain’s winning streak by snatching the gold medal in the 100m hurdles in 14.39 seconds. Iraqis Delsuz Najim and Derin Ali bagged the silver and bronze medals with 15.24 and 15.27 seconds, respectively.

Lebanese Maysa Maouad bagged the gold medal in the 100m sprint on Thursday after completing the race in 12.24 seconds. Bahraini Zainab Mohammed snatched the silver with her 12.42 seconds, while the bronze went to Omani Azza Al-Yarubi, after crossing the finish line in 12.59 seconds.

In the long jump, Maryam Abdallah edged competitors with her 5.33m jump, clinching the gold medal, leaving Egypt’s Noor Ibrahim with the silver for her 5.17m jump, and Kuwaiti Aisha Al-Khudar who bagged the bronze with a 5.15m jump.

Registering an AWST record in the discus throw, Libyan Ritaj Al-Saih clinched the gold medal after registering 50.17m. Bahraini Noura Jassim took home the silver after recording 40.23m, while Kuwaiti Aisha Al-Khudar registered 38.56m, bagging the bronze.

Egypt’s Enppi, Bahrain’s A’Ali advance: Egypt’s Enppi SC and Bahrain’s A’Ali SC are gearing up for a fierce showdown in the table tennis finals, having successfully advanced through the semi-finals.

Both teams achieved full marks in the group stage before continuing their impressive performance in the semi-finals.

A’Ali secured their place in the finals after winning against Syria’s Al Muhafezah and Sharjah Women’s Sports in the group stage and then overcame Jordan’s Hmada SC in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, Enppi defeated Kuwait’s Al-Fatat Kuwaiti and Hamadah SC in the group stage and emerged victorious against Al Muhafezah in the semi-finals, setting up Hamadah SC and Al Muhafezah to compete for the bronze medal. Nabil Mamoun, Member of the International Table Tennis Federation’s rules committee and head referee during AWST 2024, commended the stellar performances of the four teams in the semi-finals. He highlighted the tournament’s mounting excitement and the players’ increasing adaptability to the competitive atmosphere, particularly evident after observing each team’s strategic play during the group stages.