LONDON: Bahrain finished as the highest-ranked Arab nation at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games after winning 22 medals, including 11 golds, five silvers and six bronzes.
The kingdom’s strongest performance came in athletics, which accounted for 13 of its medals, including nine golds, two silvers and two bronzes, as Bahrain made its mark across a range of sports at the Games in Japan.
Bahrain’s men’s handball team also secured a historic first Asian Games gold after beating Qatar 33-32 in the final.
The victory marked a breakthrough for the team, which had reached the final at each of the previous two editions without winning the title.
Athletics provided the bulk of Bahrain’s success, with Winfred Yavi among the standout performers, while Birhanu Balew won gold in the men’s 5,000 meters. Bahrain also collected medals in relay and other track events.
Swimming produced another landmark moment for the kingdom when Mikhail Arkhangelskiy won the men’s 50-meter butterfly, securing Bahrain’s first-ever Asian Games swimming medal.
Bahrain also won two silver medals in mixed martial arts.
In weightlifting, Ingrid Grosso and Alina Marushchak took silver in the women’s 86 kg category, finishing one kilogram behind the gold medalist, while Gor Minasyan claimed bronze in the men’s +110 kg division.
Judo added another bronze through Sohrab Rostami in the men’s under-66 kg category.
Wrestler Shamil Sharapov completed Bahrain’s medal haul with bronze in the 125 kg category, securing his place on the podium with a 9-0 victory in the bronze-medal bout.
Bahrain’s 22-medal haul saw it finish ahead of all other Arab nations in the overall standings, highlighting the country’s growing presence across Asian sport.
The Games, which began on Sept. 19, conclude on Sunday after bringing together athletes from across the continent in Aichi and Nagoya.
For Bahrain, the campaign was highlighted by its first Asian Games handball gold, a dominant athletics performance and landmark medals in swimming, alongside podium finishes in mixed martial arts, weightlifting, judo and wrestling.
