bahrainthismonth.com | OCTOBER 2026 SPORTS 64 Sports Round-Up From historic Bahraini victories to dramatic international finals, September delivered sporting moments to remember. We round up eight highlights from an action-packed month in sport. Gulf Cup Heartbreak in Jeddah Bahrain’s Gulf Cup title defence came to a sudden halt in Saudi Arabia. A 2–0 opening loss to Qatar, their first win over Bahrain in the competition in 24 years, was followed by a 3–0 defeat to the UAE, confirming an early exit from Khaleeji 27 with a group match still to play. Head coach Ante Talajić apologised to fans after the result, closing the book on a reign that began with the Reds’ 2024–25 triumph over Oman. It is a tough end to a title defence, but the disappointment on the pitch has been more than offset by a golden month for Bahrain elsewhere on the world stage. Handball: A Maiden Asian Games Gold Bahrain’s senior men’s handball team have made history, beating bitter rivals Qatar 33– 32 in a dramatic final to claim their first Asian Games gold medal. Trailing 16–15 at halftime, Bahrain stormed back after the break to build a four-goal lead before holding off a fierce Qatari fightback, with right winger Ahmed Fadhul scoring the decisive goal with just three seconds left on the clock. The win avenges back-to-back final defeats to Qatar in 2018 and 2022 and caps a remarkable year for the squad, who also claimed their maiden Asian Championship title in January. Captain Hussain Al Sayyad and coach Robert Hedin have delivered the one prize that had eluded Bahraini handball for decades. History Made in the Pool Forget the track for a moment. The most groundbreaking Bahraini story of September happened in the water. Swimmer Mikhail Arkhangelskiy won gold in the men’s 50m butterfly, securing Bahrain’s first Asian Games swimming medal. Arkhangelskiy, whose family fled Russia before he chose to represent Bahrain, described it as: “an incredibly special moment”. He hopes it inspires a new generation of swimmers back home. Decades after athletics put Bahrain on the map, swimming has finally had its breakthrough moment too, and it could not have come in more dramatic fashion. Seven Golds, One Incredible Month Bahrain’s athletics squad turned Aichi-Nagoya into their own stage, storming to seven gold medals at the Asian Games. Salwa Eid Naser smashed the Games record in the 400m, Winfred Yavi claimed a stunning double in the steeplechase and 10,000m and Birhanu Balew defended his 10,000m crown for a remarkable fourth Asian Games title. Nelly Korir and Shitaye Habte struck gold in the 1,500m and marathon respectively, while Bahrain’s mixed relay team capped things off with a record-breaking run of their own. Add two bronze medals and it is Bahrain’s most dominant athletics showing in years.
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