bahrainthismonth.com | OCTOBER 2026 SPORTS 63 As a not-for-profit healthcare establishment, serving Bahrain since 1903, set up by Christian missionaries, the hospital has no investors or shareholders who seek any dividends from its operations. Hence, the support for the hospital’s infrastructure upgrades, and for its numerous community-outreach programmes, often comes from events such as these. “Over 220 community outreach projects were conducted in just 2024 and 2025 alone, which included free health check-ups, medical camps, health awareness talks, fee-waivers, some full and some partial for the poor,” says Dr George Cheriyan. “We also offer free consultancies and partially paid treatments to assist the less-privileged members of the society, who need financial support. Our Zwemer Clinic in Manama helps such patients,” he said. The first charity golf event, in 1997, was organised by the American Mission Hospital in association with the American Association of Bahrain. Within two or three years of its organising, it had helped in the construction of a Interested sponsors and golfers can contact [email protected] And information will be updated on the www.amh.org.bh/islandclassic new building and of an overhead bridge across a busy Isa al Kabeer Road in Manama. Tournaments like these help sustain the operations of hospitals without burdening the patients, with high bills, said a hospital spokesperson. The Island Classic golf tournament is played under the Florida scramble format. There are two flights, Championship and Premiership, which allows various skill levels of golfers to participate. The golfers at the first tournament in 1997 In 2019, US Ambassador Justin Siberell and UK Ambassador Roderick Drummond RJ Krazy Kevin, of Radio Bahrain, at one of the Island Classic tournaments in the late 2000s. Flashback: In 1997, when His Majesty King Hamad, then Crown Prince, was meeting the organizers of the 1st Island Classic Golf Tournament. Seen, from left to right, are Dr Paul Armerding, then CMO of AMH, with Michael Langton and Salman Abbasi. The then US Ambassador Steven C. Bondy and his wife (second and third from right) with hospital leaders, and Mayo Clinic visitors, at the Island Classic 2024 Gala Night, held on 21 November 2024.
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