Under the gracious patronage of His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Works and Youth Affairs and Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, and in the presence of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, President of the General Sports Authority, and President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, along with Dr. Husain Al Musallam, President of the International Aquatics Federation, the curtain fell on Sunday, September 22, 2024, on the High Diving World Championship, organized by the Olympic Committee in cooperation with the International Aquatics Federation at Bahrain Harbour.
The closing ceremony was attended by His Highness Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Vice President of the General Sports Authority, His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, Vice President of the Olympic Committee, Dr. Abdulrahman Sadiq Askar, CEO of the General Sports Authority, Mr. Faris Mustafa Al Koheeji, Secretary General of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, and a number of diplomats, invited guests, and senior officials.
His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa awarded the winners of the men’s (27 meters) and women’s (20 meters) competitions. Romanian athlete Constantin Popovici took first place and the gold medal with a score of 408 points, while Canadian diver Molly Carlson secured first place and the gold medal with 324.20 points.
Dr. Husain Musallam awarded the second and third place winners in both competitions: American diver James Lichtenstein placed second, and British diver Aidan Heslop took third in the men’s event. In the women’s competition, Canadian Simone Leathhead came in second, followed by American Kaylea Arnett in third.
On this occasion, His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa expressed his immense happiness with the outstanding success Bahrain achieved in hosting the High Diving World Championship, reaffirming the country’s capability to organize major sporting events across various disciplines, including water sports.
He extended his heartfelt gratitude to His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa for his generous sponsorship of the event, reflecting his efforts in supporting sports and youth initiatives, as well as various championships held in the kingdom. His Highness also praised the significant role played by the Olympic Committee’s executive team, led by Secretary General Faris Al Koheeji, in attracting and organizing the championship, along with the efforts of all working committees.
His Highness added, “The Bahrain Olympic Committee follows an exceptional approach focused on attracting global sports championships and building partnerships with international and continental sports federations, implementing a strategy aimed at hosting various sports events that enhance Bahrain’s position and contribute to economic development and tourism. The hosting of this global championship, along with the recent International Golf Championship, underscores the growing role of the Olympic Committee in the local sports landscape in coordination with other entities.”
His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa reiterated his gratitude to the International Aquatics Federation, led by Dr. Hussein Musallam, for their trust in Bahrain to host the High Diving World Championship. He also thanked GFH Group and all sponsors for their support of the event, and appreciated the collaboration of all ministries, government bodies, and private sector institutions, emphasizing Bahrain’s commitment to fruitful cooperation with the International Aquatics Federation on numerous future initiatives and projects.
