MANAMA, 27th October, 2025 (WAM) -- The UAE has raised its medal tally to 18 at the 3rd Asian Youth Games, currently being held in the Kingdom of Bahrain until 31 October, with more than 5,000 young athletes from 45 nations participating. The UAE is represented in 19 sports disciplines at the Games.

In a milestone debut for the sport at the Asian Youth Games, the UAE camel-racing team secured four medals-claiming two golds and two silvers in the boys' and girls' events.

In the boys' competition, Mohammed Omair Al Rashdi captured the gold medal for the UAE, while teammate Khalifa Suhail Al Ghafli took silver. Wasmi Al Balwi of Saudi Arabia claimed bronze.

In the girls' division, Latifa Mohammed Al Ashkhari won gold for the UAE, with Aisha Abdullah Al Saadi earning silver, and Eman Salem of Yemen taking bronze.

Show jumper Saleh Al Kharbi added another medal to the UAE's tally after clinching bronze in the individual show jumping event yesterday evening. Malaysia's Jamal Al-Lail Princess Sharifah Aryel Boudriah won the gold medal, while Iraq's Mohammed Hammam Harith secured silver.

National swimmer Hussain Shawqi also earned a bronze medal in the men's 50 m freestyle, clocking 23.43 seconds after qualifying for the final with one of the three fastest times out of seven heats.

The UAE maintained its position as the leading Arab nation at the Games, advancing to sixth place overall in the Asian medal standings with a total of 18 medals-comprising seven golds, six silvers, and five bronzes. China tops the table with 76 medals (38 gold, 26 silver, 12 bronze), followed by Uzbekistan in second place with 29 medals (14 gold, 5 silver, 10 bronze).
In cycling, UAE youth rider Falah Al Nuaimi produced an impressive performance, finishing fifth in the 15 km individual time trial with a time of 22:34.34.

Abdullah Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director General of the UAE Camel Racing Federation, affirmed that the achievement of the UAE Camel Racing Team at the Asian Youth Games in the Kingdom of Bahrain reflects the continuous support and attention of the wise leadership, which has placed traditional sports among its top priorities and provided all the necessary elements for success and excellence-enabling them to reach the highest levels and achieve outstanding results across all competitions, regardless of their category.

Al Muhairi added that the success achieved in Bahrain embodies the strength of the national system supporting camel racing in the UAE and the comprehensive care it receives from the country's wise leadership.

Al Muhairi praised the performance of the UAE Camel Racing Team for boys and girls, commending their great effort, dedication during training, and commitment in the preparatory stages leading up to the event-all of which contributed to their presence on the podium and the addition of another milestone to the UAE's heritage sport at one of the continent's most prominent youth sporting gatherings.