Al Balushi Qualifies for 100m Semifinals at Asian Youth Games in Bahrain
Oman launched its campaign at the third Asian Youth Games with a promising start as sprinter Raed bin Mohammed al Balushi secured a spot in the 100m semifinals, marking a significant achievement for the country in the continental event.
Hosted by Bahrain from October 22 to 31, the Asian Youth Games feature more than 5,000 athletes from 45 Asian National Olympic Committees, participating across 24 sports and 253 events. These competitions are being held at key venues such as Isa Sports City, Khalifa Sports City, the Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Center, the Endurance Village, and the Sama Bay area.
In the fiercely contested preliminary round, Al Balushi clocked a time of 10.98 seconds, finishing first in Heat 1. He edged out strong competitors, including Iran’s Darvish who came second at 11.02, Hong Kong’s Weng in third with 11.08, and Pakistan’s Murtaza, who finished fourth at 11.20.
Brigadier (Retd) Said al Hajri, deputy head of the Omani delegation, and Abdullah Bamkhalaf, Secretary-General of the Oman Olympic Committee, extended their congratulations to Al Balushi, acknowledging his “determination” and expressing confidence in his ability to continue excelling and “reach the podium.”
As the competition intensifies, all eyes will be on Raed Al Balushi as he prepares to represent Oman in the semifinal showdown in one of the games’ most anticipated events.
Team V.DIR-EM-UAE
