His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, in the presence of His Royal Highness the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, announced the opening of the 11-day long first ever GCC Olympics Games called Bahrain 11 at a glittering ceremony held at the Bahrain National Stadium, on Tuesday.
Upon his arrival His Majesty was received by the President of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, President of the Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Organizing Committee Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and the First Deputy of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and President of the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Racing Federation (BREEF) Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, CEO of the Bahrain Olympic committee, heads of committee and senior Supreme Council committee members.
His Majesty the King greeted the attendees who included princesses and senior GCC officials expressing his pride in Bahrain hosting this large event.
Following that the band played the national anthem after which a welcome song was presented in which all GCC member countries were greeted.
Shaikh Nasser in a speech lauded the continued support from His Majesty the King and his vision for developing the youth sector on all levels. A song entitled “It is Bahrain” was performed after which a visual performance was played projecting the various GCC Games of the championship. A parade that includes all participating delegation from the various GCC countries was displayed.
His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa announced the formal opening of the games in a speech in which he affirmed the unity and cooperation existing between the GCC member countries.
He also lauded all efforts exerted to make this event a successful one. Then the game’s torch was lit that was also complemented by fireworks and a musical performance entitled “One gulf, one objective”. His Majesty the King lauded the efforts exerted by Shaikh Nasser and heads of departments that help facilitating all arrangements. His Majesty also wished all participating athletes success in the games.