His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, Chairman of the General Sports Authority, and President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Bahrain Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia to host the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, which will be held during the last quarter of 2025.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Bahrain Olympic Committee by His Excellency Mr. Faris Mustafa Al Khoja, and on behalf of the Olympic Council of Asia by Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari, Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia for the West Asia region.
The signing ceremony was attended by His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, Vice President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, and Dr. Hussein Ali Al-Musallam, Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia.
On this occasion, His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa expressed his great happiness at Bahrain’s selection to host the Asian Youth Games, emphasizing that the trust placed in Bahrain to host the 3rd Asian Youth Games in 2025 is a continuation of the Kingdom’s success in hosting major sports events throughout its history. He highlighted Bahrain’s global reputation, outstanding capabilities, professional human resources, excellent infrastructure, and welcoming people.
His Highness Shaikh Khalid directed the General Sports Authority and the Bahrain Olympic Committee to prepare for this historic event, which will be hosted in the Kingdom for the first time, by organizing all necessary arrangements, forming committees, and ensuring the readiness of facilities in collaboration with relevant government and private sectors. He emphasized the importance of hosting the Asian Youth Games, which is one of the most significant sporting events ahead of the Youth Olympic Games to be held in Senegal in 2026.
For his part, Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari, Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia for the West Asia region, extended his sincere thanks to the Kingdom of Bahrain for its continuous support of sports in Bahrain and across Asia.
He added, “We look forward to fruitful cooperation in the future to achieve a distinguished Asian Games that will be a milestone in the history of Asian youth sports…” He continued, “We are confident that this event will be a historic sports occasion, bringing together young athletes from across our continent, contributing to enhancing cultural and social ties among Asian youth, and providing new opportunities for sports development in the region. I wish everyone success in their preparations for this event, and I am certain the 2025 Asian Youth Games in Bahrain will be a successful and unique event.”
Dr. Hussein Al-Musallam, Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia, said, “I am pleased to express my great happiness at the signing of this agreement between the Olympic Council of Asia and the Bahrain Olympic Committee to host the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Bahrain in 2025. This major sporting event is an important step towards enhancing Asian sports and opening new horizons for cooperation between the member countries of the continent…”
He added, “Bahrain has repeatedly proven its ability to organize major international sports events, and we are confident that hosting the Asian Youth Games will be an exceptional experience, providing young athletes from across Asia with the opportunity to compete in an outstanding sports environment.”
