The Kingdom of Bahrain’s national under-16 tennis team clinched the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) title after a flawless campaign, securing five consecutive victories, culminating in a decisive 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, the final day of the championship hosted by the State of Kuwait from April 11 to 16.
In addition to the team’s championship triumph, players Ahmed Al Sayed and Marwan Janahi won the Best Khaleeji Players in the under-16 category, further highlighting Bahrain’s dominance in the tournament.
Bahrain’s under-12 team also made a strong impression, taking third place in their category and reinforcing the depth and potential of the Kingdom’s tennis development pipeline a key focus of the Bahrain Tennis Federation.
Shaikh Abdulaziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Tennis Federation, extended his congratulations to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and to the Kingdom’s sports leadership, led by His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, and His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy Chairman of the Council.
Shaikh Abdulaziz bin Mubarak emphasised that this achievement reflects the unwavering support of the Kingdom’s leadership for Bahraini sport in general and tennis in particular. He expressed his hopes for continued success for the young players as they pursue further regional and international accomplishments.
He commended the outstanding performance of the under-16 national team, which earned widespread praise from participating GCC teams. He added that the Federation remains committed to building on this success to advance the sport’s future in Bahrain.
He also noted that Kuwait continues to be a fortunate host for Bahraini sport, as it has witnessed the crowning of numerous Bahraini teams and clubs across various disciplines.
In the final U16 match, Ahmed Al Sayed defeated Saudi Arabia’s Ibrahim Saber 6-2, 6-4 in the first singles match. Marwan Janahi then secured victory with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Haidar Al Fareed. Bahrain’s doubles team of Redha Abdulnabi and Talal Al Sayed lost to Saudi duo Haidar Al Fareed and Abdulaziz Al Tamimi 0-6, 5-7.
In the under-12 category, Bahrain also defeated Qatar 2-1 in their final fixture. Abdullah Shaheen beat Saeed Al Abdulla 6-0, 7-6, while Yousef Kamal defeated Yousef Al Sherawi 6-2, 6-0. The doubles team of Ammar Al Jabal and Isa Zuhair lost to Qatar’s Ali Al Abdulla and Saif Al Suwaidi 2-6, 6-7.
Separately, Bahrain’s senior national team secured fourth place overall, concluding their campaign with a 3-0 win over Oman.
