UAE rise to 6th place with 18 medals, retain Arab lead at Asian Youth Games

The UAE has raised its medal tally to 18 at the 3rd Asian Youth Games, currently being held in the Kingdom of Bahrain until Oct.31, with more than 5,000 young athletes from 45 nations participating. The UAE is represented in 19 sports disciplines at the Games.

In a milestone debut for the sport at the Asian Youth Games, the UAE camel-racing team secured four medals-claiming two golds and two silvers in the boys’ and girls’ events.

In the boys’ competition, Mohammed Omair Al Rashdi captured the gold medal for the UAE, while teammate Khalifa Suhail Al Ghafli took silver. Wasmi Al Balwi of Saudi Arabia claimed bronze.

In the girls’ division, Latifa Mohammed Al Ashkhari won gold for the UAE, with Aisha Abdullah Al Saadi earning silver, and Eman Salem of Yemen taking bronze.

Show jumper Saleh Al Kharbi added another medal to the UAE’s tally after clinching bronze in the individual show jumping event yesterday evening. Malaysia’s Jamal Al-Lail Princess Sharifah Aryel Boudriah won the gold medal, while Iraq’s Mohammed Hammam Harith secured silver.

National swimmer Hussain Shawqi also earned a bronze medal in the men’s 50 m freestyle, clocking 23.43 seconds after qualifying for the final with one of the three fastest times out of seven heats.

The UAE maintained its position as the leading Arab nation at the Games, advancing to sixth place overall in the Asian medal standings with a total of 18 medals-comprising seven golds, six silvers, and five bronzes. China tops the table with 76 medals (38 gold, 26 silver, 12 bronze), followed by Uzbekistan in second place with 29 medals (14 gold, 5 silver, 10 bronze).

In cycling, UAE youth rider Falah Al Nuaimi produced an impressive performance, finishing fifth in the 15 km individual time trial with a time of 22:34.34.

Camel Racing Team’s achievement is the result of leadership support and a national vision that strengthens the presence of heritage sports across Asia

Abdullah Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director General of the UAE Camel Racing Federation, affirmed that the achievement of the UAE Camel Racing Team at the Asian Youth Games in the Kingdom of Bahrain reflects the continuous support and attention of the wise leadership, which has placed traditional sports among its top priorities and provided all the necessary elements for success and excellence-enabling them to reach the highest levels and achieve outstanding results across all competitions, regardless of their category.

Al Karbi hails UAE equestrian team’s performance and thanks clubs and stables for their support

Hamad Al Karbi, coach of the UAE national show jumping team, praised the achievement of rider Saleh Al Karbi commending his strong performance as well as that of the other Emirati riders.

He noted that all riders demonstrated full commitment during the team’s intensive preparation programme in recent months. Three riders-Mabkhout, Alya, and Mohammed-took part in European championships over the summer, while Saleh competed in the UAE Summer League.

“There is still much more to achieve in the coming championships,” he added.

Ghanem Mubarak Al Hajri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Sports, affirmed that the results achieved by UAE athletes at the 2025 Asian Youth Games, reflect the continuous progress of Emirati sports across youth categories and herald a bright and promising future filled with accomplishments.

He said: “We take pride in the outstanding performances of our athletes, who continue to deliver impressive results at the Games. The UAE delegation has so far won 18 medals, with competitions still ongoing.”

He added: “These results build on the sustained support extended by our wise leadership to the national sports sector, and reflect the ongoing collaboration between the Ministry of Sports, the National Olympic Committee, and sports federations to empower young talents and provide an enabling environment for their growth - in line with the objectives of the National Sports Strategy 2031.”

Al Hajri concluded: “We have full confidence in the abilities of our athletes and their determination to deliver their best. We look forward to seeing this positive momentum continue throughout the remainder of the Games, as UAE athletes continue to write new chapters of excellence and leadership on the Asian stage.”