Marathon challenge



By EUNICE del ROSARIO

MANAMA

A NEW category has been added to this year's Bahrain Marathon Relay. Construction industry companies are welcome to form their own teams and take part in the sporting and charity event's new Construction Division category. Kooheji Contractors is one of over 60 teams that have already registered for this year's event and the company's managing director Abdul Ghaffar Kooheji is challenging other construction industry companies to enter a team and compete for the new trophy.

"Last year was the first time we entered a team in the relay," said Mr Kooheji.

"The runners and marshals all had a great time.

"We were especially pleased that all our participants came from within our company.

"We actually had try outs to get the best runners.

"This year we even had several employees who have trained just so they could make the team.

"We expect to improve on our 40th place last year as well as better our overall time of 3hrs 56mins and, of course, hopefully win the Construction Division Trophy."

Race registrar Chuck Chandonnet reports that two other construction teams, Comsip Al A'Ali and Contrack International have entered the fray so the winner of this year's inaugural Construction Division is anyone's guess!

The organisers are hoping that more construction companies in Bahrain will field teams.

The 2005 Bahrain Marathon Relay is being organised by the Bahrain Round Table (BRT) and will be held on November 18.

The starting point is at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir and the finish line at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa, in the Seef district. ( :eek2: )

After a very successful race last year, the organisers are working overtime to ensure an even more professional and high profile event this year.

The 2005 Bahrain Marathon Relay is a particularly special event as it represents the 25th anniversary.

The first event was first held in 1980.

Registration forms can be downloaded from the Bahrain Round Table website www.brt1.org or obtained from Mr Chandonnet, who can be reached on e-mail

bmr_registrar@hotmail.com.

The entry fee is BD120 until the Captains' Meeting to be held on Sunday, and BD150 thereafter.

The number of entries is strictly limited to 125 teams and registration will be closed as soon as this limit has been reached.

Every runner is to receive a commemorative T-shirt and a finishing medal.

A special medal has been cast this year to celebrate the event's 25th anniversary.

Additionally, many activities are being planned for the finish at the Ritz-Carlton to make the event even more attractive to spectators as well as the participants.

Prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third placed men's/mixed teams and the first female team.

Other winning categories include: fastest school, fastest Bahrain club, fastest hotel, fastest airline, fastest hash team, fastest sponsors team, and the most improved team from last year.

The event is being held under the patronage of General Organisation for Youth and Sports (Goys) president Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.

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A record breaking European Seniors Tour season that has included 21 tournaments in 14 different countries reaches its climax in the Kingdom of Bahrain with the Arcapita Seniors Tour Championship at Riffa Golf Club, from November 10-12.

It will be the Tour’s first visit to the ‘Pearl of the Arabian Gulf’ and a thrilling tournament is in prospect, with former European Ryder Cup Captain Sam Torrance of Scotland and England’s Carl Mason effectively involved in a shoot-out for The John Jacobs Trophy, awarded annually to the player who finishes top on the European Seniors Tour Order of Merit.

In addition to this, John Chillas of Scotland will be defending the title he won last year and for many others, a good performance is required to secure their playing privileges for 2006; so it promises to be an exciting, tension-packed few days.

The Order of Merit is based on prize money won during the year and Torrance – courtesy of his joint second place finish behind American Jerry Bruner in the Algarve Seniors

http://picsrv.europeantour.com/fif=/pga/1137186.fpx&obj=iip,1.0&wid=181&cvt=jpeg

However, the fact that Mason is going for his third Order of Merit title in a row is not the most positive omen for Torrance – though he is determined to change that.

Despite a long and successful career on The European Tour during which he won 21 times, the Scotsman never managed to top the Rankings but twice finished runner-up, most notably when countryman Colin Montgomerie pipped him to the Number One spot in 1995.

Montgomerie finished a shot ahead of Torrance in the last event that year, the Volvo Masters at Valderrama Golf Club in Spain, which was enough to secure him the third of his seven consecutive European Tour Order of Merit titles.

A decade on and Montgomerie is once again leading The European Tour Order of Merit while Torrance, at 52, is the Number One player on the Seniors Tour and will be hoping to seal the title with a strong performance at the US$450,000 Arcapita Seniors Tour Championship, which takes the 2005 European Seniors Tour prize fund up to around €6.75m – the largest on record.

Just 15 minutes drive from Bahrain’s capital Manama, the 6,817 yard, par 72 championship course at Riffa Golf Club is an oasis of greenery and is widely acknowledged by golfers as a well designed, challenging and immaculately presented layout. Designed by Karl Litten – the man behind the world famous Emirates Golf Club in Dubai – and managed by PGA Golf Management, it follows the rolling desert terrain of the valley and features five lakes and 600 date palms.

Mason, holder of The John Jacobs Trophy for the past two years and winner of this event in 2003, is looking forward to the challenge. He said: “The players all love this tournament and to have the backing of a company like Arcapita is great news. Everything is poised for an exciting conclusion to the season and from my point of view, I hope to be clinching my third John Jacobs Trophy in Bahrain.”

link (http://www.europeantour.com/tournaments/fullreport.sps?iTourNo=2005860&id=1145232)

Sorry Obi-Wan I didn’t know were to put this, and it seemed appropriate to add it to your thread. It’s great to see these events being organized. I think this is the first professional tour to come to Bahrain; even though it’s for seniors.

I remember a few years ago (4 to be specific when I was in 12th grade), we won the school's event, was a lot of fun. It's 20 legs of 3 km. so it's 60 km. long and me and a few of my school mates ran 6 each (I ran the fastest leg and good a sports tracksuit for it :D).

Some team really needs to challenge Saad Hospital, they've been winning it for years.


Guys, I'll just make it a sports thread, just to make life more easier and things more organized.

Well after beating Panama 5-0, there is a slight problem (let's hope it's resolved soon):

http://gulf-daily-news.com/source/xxviii/223/images/Spic3.jpg

BAHRAIN'S joy after winning a friendly over Panama 5-0 did not last long as their second friendly against a more competitive team Jamaica was cancelled at the last minute yesterday. Bahrain's World Cup preparations was thus further hit as the unavailability of 11 professionals playing in Qatar and Kuwait had already affected the team's training ahead of the World Cup final playoff clash against Trinidad and Tobago on November 12 (Port-of-Spain) and 16 (Bahrain).

The two teams are vying for a place in the 2006 World Cup to be held in Germany next year.

"The Jamaica friendly is cancelled," confirmed Bahrain team manager Abdulrazzaq Mohammed yesterday. "But we are trying to arrange friendlies against other Concacaf region teams. I have already faxed a few request letters and am waiting for a positive reply."

Bahrain was to fly out on Sunday or Monday to Jamaica for a week-long training camp and a friendly clash on November 8 or 9 before reaching Port-of-Spain for the do-or-die showdown.

Mohammed refused to divulge the reason for the last minute cancellation of the Jamaica friendly, but the web site of a Caribbean newspaper yesterday said the hosts "asked for a fee of $350,000 ... leaving (Bahrain) officials looking for a replacement venue in Honduras or Venezuela".

The final playoff has already attracted world attention as much for its contrasting cultural sideshow as for the fact that both Bahrain and Trinidad are aiming to book their first-ever berths in the World Cup.

Bahrain's limited exposure against teams from South American and the Concacaf region is also a big worry for coach Luka Peruzovic of Belgium.

Bahrain had met a team from the Americas only once before the 5-0 drubbing of Panama on Thursday, and that was 20 years ago when they were beaten 2-1 by Paraguay in another friendly clash.

Peruzovic is aware of the problem and admitted it after the Panama friendly. "We are not familiar with the culture of their game and we hope not to start learning about it on the day of the playoff," said Peruzovic who took over from Croatia's Serco Juricic halfway through the 2006 qualifying group stage.

Peruzovic was also pragmatic when he put into perspective the 5-0 result against Panama as the visitors were without a string of key players who had plotted their team's way into the final of the Concacaf Gold Cup in the US.

"Panama used a lot of young players against us. I am not excited about the result, but I am happy that my players got the feel of what it's like to face such teams," said Peruzovic who was also forced to field a second-string team in the absence of 11 professionals, including seven regulars, away on duty in Kuwait and Qatar leagues.

Peruzovic, however, had something to cheer him up as first-choice goalkeeper Ali Hassan resumed training, while leading striker Hussain Ali's form has been encouraging for his club Al Garafa in the Qatari league.

Bahrain beat Uzbekistan on the basis of away goals rule while Trinidad finished fourth behind the US, Mexico and Coasta Rica in the Concacaf region to book berths in the final playoffs.

Originating from illegal street racing in the US back in the 1950’s, drag racing still has that underground allure and smell of danger. Screeching tyres, burning rubber and the chance of spectacular thrills will make this event a very loud and memorable event.

Dragsters are the fastest race cars on earth. Two top fuel dragsters are more powerful than 15 Grand Prix cars and reach 100mph in one second and 300mph in five. The race consists of two drivers racing head-to-head over a quarter of a mile, known as "the strip".

The fastest top fueler can attain terminal speeds of more than 530 kilometers an hour while covering the quarter mile distance in less than 4.5 seconds. This translates to acceleration figures that all but defy physical laws of motion and means that a top fuel dragster starting from a dead stop will beat a vehicle crossing the same staring point at 322Km/hr to the finishing line a quarter mile away.

The top fuel dragsters then use large multiple braking parachutes to bring themselves back to a stop and the results are just as impressive with astounding performance figures of 0 to more than 530 km/h and then back to 0 in 20 seconds. That’s less time than it would take a top sports car to clock even half that speed - let alone return to standstill.

The numbers are so overwhelming that its difficult to appreciate the raw power behind these vehicles – and the only way to understand, let alone appreciate, the sheer power is to see it in action.

Drag racing is one of the most impressive motorsport spectacles. With more than 6,000 horsepower engines these eight-and-a-half-meter long, four wheel missiles emanate a hellish crackle.

At idle, the 500-odd cubic inch, blown aluminum Hemis spit out raw nitro methane - an organic solvent created by the nitration of propane - into the sky. Cut with up to 10 percent of methanol, this rocket fuel helps create around ten horsepower for every one of the engine’s inches.

Time is everything in drag racing - and is the most important factor in a world where the hero-to-zero margin for victory is measured in mere thousands of a second. The instant a top fueler dragster launches, the drag racing heavens opens up and flows forth five of the most furious seconds of motoring mayhem imaginable. Tire sidewalls wrinkle on ‘wind up’ as engine revs surge to 8000rpm, the supercharger (30 percent overdriven) screaming as it pumps 100,000 cubic inches of air per minute.

Sixty liters of nitro methane - or a family sedan’s entire fuel tank - is consumed during one burnout and pass, creating eight towering exhaust flames that shoot high into the sky, creating 680 kilograms of down force and 120db of noise.

A top fueler dragster covers the second 200 meters of the quarter mile run in half the time as the first and although acceleration has dropped from 5Gs to one G, the velocity is ferocious and record-breaking 4.4 second runs in the Unites States have seen racers clock more than 530km/h.

link (http://bahraingp.com.bh/fia-european-drag-exhibition.html)

A RECORD 102 teams have signed up to join the 25th annual Bahrain Marathon Relay, on November 18.

The previous record for the charity event was 100 teams, in 1995.

The surge in entries, from 62 last week, came at the Captains' Meeting held on Sunday at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa.

Organisers at the Bahrain Round Table are delighted with the record response.

"We are still accepting entries through to the week before the event, or when we reach 125 entries," said Bahrain Marathon Relay '05 chairman Stephen Williams, who was also race chairman in 1995.

"I doubt we will reach 125, but anything above 100 we're thrilled with."

With 102 teams, that's about 1,700 runners representing various nationalities, said Mr Williams.

"One year, we estimated that there were about 35 different nationalities taking part."

The entry fee for each team is BD150.

Entry forms can be downloaded from the BRT website, www.brt1.org, obtained from race registrar Chuck Chandonnet on e-mail bmr_registrar@hotmail.com.

They can also be obtained at the Ritz-Carlton's Health Club, the British Club and the American Express outlet in the Seef Mall.

The race is being held under the patronage of General Organisation for Youth and Sports (Goys) president Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa. It will start at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir at 10am.

The finish line will be at the Ritz-Carlton.

Teams will be competing in a large number of individual categories.

In addition to the International Elite, Open and Ladies Divisions, categories include the fastest school, hotel, financial institution, airline, hash and construction company team as well as the most improved team.

A new category has been introduced this year for Bahrain clubs.

The organisers are working closely with Goys and the Bahrain Athletics Association to seek increased participation by clubs.

The organisers have arranged sponsors for the clubs to encourage their participation.

Four clubs have entered to date.

Trophies will be presented to the winning teams in each of the individual categories. Trophies and medals will also be presented to the winning teams in the International Elite, Open, Ladies, Bahrain Clubs and Schools Divisions. A Marshals' Meeting will be held on November 13 at the Ritz-Carlton's Al Khayma Tent, starting at 7pm.

THE Bahrain Football Association (BFA) is to probe the 'status' of the Panama team which lost 5-0 to Bahrain in a friendly clash on Thursday at the National Stadium.

The match was part of Bahrain's preparations for the World Cup playoffs against Trinidad and Tobago scheduled for November 12 and 16.

Panama had signed an agreement with the BFA in which it was clearly stated (clause Four) that a "team of at least 16 players, the majority of which participated in the Concacaf qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup" will play in the Bahrain friendly.

But the Panama team which eventually played against Bahrain is a youth side according to a report in a local Arabic newspaper.

"We are still unsure about the status of the Panama team which played against Bahrain," said BFA general secretary Ahmed Jassim.

Any news about our snooker champion Habib Sabah in UK? His playing his first match today I guess!

Any news about our snooker champion Habib Sabah in UK? His playing his first match today I guess!

Didn't hear anythin, we'll see if it's in the papers tomorrow.

http://www.brt1.org/Home_BRT/IMAG001.JPG

:sleepy: u guys got kitesurfing???

:sleepy: u guys got kitesurfing???

Ya but not any competitions for it.

Nothin about the snooker, didn't see anythin.

Hey BP, are you in the Marathon this year???

Bahrain stars join the squad

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BAHRAIN's national soccer team professionals returned to the Kingdom from Doha last night ahead of their 2006 World Cup final playoff against Trinidad and Tobago scheduled on Saturday and November 16.

The eight professionals came back after playing their matches with the Qatari clubs in the Premier Division League.

Al Gharrafa's strikers Hussain Ali, Ala'a Hubail and Al Silia midfielder Mahmood Jalal returned last night while defenders Mohamemd Juma'a, Sayed Mohammed Adnan (Al Khor) and midfielders Mohammed Salmeen, Salman Isa (Al Arabi), Mohammed Hubail (Qatar Club) arrived earlier on Friday.

However, the players did not practice with the team last night as they were rested by coach Luka Peruzovic of Belgium.

Team manager Abdulrazzaq Mohammed said the professionals will be practicing today while the team is set to depart tomorrow at 2am and will reach Trinidad via London after a 16-hour journey.

Mohammed said the team will fly by Gulf Air to London and from there they will take a national Trinidad plane.

According to Mohammed, the team will return home in a private jet soon after the first-leg match at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain while the second-leg match is scheduled four days later at the National Stadium in Riffa.

The delegation will be headed by Bahrain Football Association vice-president Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and includes association member Yousef Hassan and 25 players.

Both Bahrain and Trinidad are battling for their first-ever ticket to the World Cup finals next year in Germany.

Bahrain claimed third place in the previous qualifying round Group 'B' on four points from an away win over bottom side North Korea and a goalless draw with Iran who qualified for Germany along with Japan who finished top.

That gave the Kingdom another chance of getting a berth in the World Cup as they beat Uzbekistan - the third placed team in Group 'A' - on the away goal rule after they drew 1-1 in the first-leg match in Tashkent before following with a goalless draw in the second-leg home game.

Trinidad reached this stage after finishing fourth in their six-team qualifier on 13 points, three points behind third placed Costa Rica who booked a berth along with the US and Mexico who came first and second respectively on 22 points each.

Trinidad played 10 matches and won four, drew one and lost five. Their top scorer is striker John Stern who scored 12 goals for the team and is the second top scorer in the qualifier after Mexico's 14-goal scorer Jared Borgetti.

Delegation:

Head: Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa. Member: Yousef Hassan. Manager: Abdulrazzaq Mohammed. Administrators: Fahad Jalal, Mohammed Al Sa'adon. Coach: Luka Peruzovic. Assistant coaches: Mijac Zelko, Riyadh Al Thawadi. Fitness coach: Marin Fradelic. Goalkeeping coach: Rafael Silvador. Physiotherapist: Khalil Rabea. Masseur: Wilson D'souza. Psychologist: Nabeel Taha. Nutrition official: Khalil Al Dossary. Accountant: Abbas Marzooq.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Ali Hassan, Sayed Mohammed Jaffer, Abdulrahman Abdulkarim.

Defenders: Abdulla Al Marzooqi, Ebrahim Al Mishkhas, Ahmed Al Hujairi, Ghazi Al Kuwari, Mohammed Juma'a, Sayed Mohammed Adnan.

Midfielders: Hamad Rakea, Hussain Salman, Saleh Farhan, Hussain Baba, Rashid Al Dossary, Fawzi Ayesh, Talal Yousef, Mohammed Salmeen, Salman Isa, Mohammed Hubail, Mahmood Jalal.

Strikers: Ahmed Hassan, Abdulla Al Dikheel, Ismail Abdullatif, Ala'a Hubail, Hussain Ali.

Double blow for Trinidad soccer team

TRINIDAD and Tobago's national team suffered a major blow missing two key players ahead of their 2006 World Cup playoff with Bahrain on Saturday and November 16.

The team will have to do without the services of Aston Villa defender Jlloyd Samuel after a Fifa ruling prevented him from switching nationality while Southampton striker Kenwyne Jones tweaked his hamstring during training.

Samuel, 24, indicated his willingness to represent Trinidad recently and appeared to be on the verge of lining up in the upcoming matches against Bahrain despite having represented England at the under-21 and under-18 level.

However, the English FA informed Aston Villa that the player was ineligible for Trinidad and following a letter to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation from the Premiership club, the matter was carried to Fifa.

The world governing body then responded yesterday, explaining the reason for Samuel's ineligibility.

Legal division director for Fifa Heinz Tannler said: "We have noted that the player has not performed for the A-representative team of the English FA. We understood however, that the player was born on March 29 1981. In principle, a player may only once request changing the association for which he is eligible to play international matches, but only up to his 21st birthday.

On the other hand, the 21-year old Jones is scheduled to have a scan to determine the extent of the injury.

Club reports suggest however that Jones, who has just recovered from another injury, has an outside chance of suiting up for Trinidad in the crucial match that could see them reaching the World Cup for the first time in their history.

Southampton manager Harry Redknapp said however that if the scan showed Jones to be unfit, he believed the player should sit out the playoffs.

"Kenwyne has a bit of a hamstring and if the scan shows he is not fit then he should not have to make such a long journey when he is injured," Redknapp told the club's website.

Jones, who has represented Trinidad in seven of the 10 Concacaf qualifiers, is confident of being passed fit. "I am sure I will be fit. It is a huge game for us. There is so much excitement back home because we are so close," he said.

EUROPEAN Top Fuel Bike Champion Ian King's final preparations are underway for his visit to Bahrain during this weekend's Bahrain International Drag Racing Festival.

The British rider and his UK based team have been invited by the organisers to make exhibition runs as a promotion for the planned inaugural round of the FIA/FIM Drag Racing Championships to be held in 2006.

Champion and double European record holder, King is both team principal and rider of Britain's most powerful motorcycle a 1,000 horsepower supercharged and nitromethane fuelled Puma machine.

His machine is 20 per cent more powerful than a Formula One Car and can reach speeds from zero to 220 miles per hour in under 6.3 seconds.

The Puma is one of the fastest accelerating machines on two wheels on the planet and will out-accelerate all vehicles from a standing start (except for 'top fuel cars') including Formula One cars and even Thrust SSC and F14 jet fighters.

It has a four cylinder purpose built engine, is supercharged, fuel injected and consumes over 15 gallons of the explosive fuel Nitromethane every mile.

Those who wish to experience what it feels like to be propelled to over 200mph in under 6.5 seconds can do so by visiting the team's impressive website and downloading the helmet and bike camera mounted videos on the front page of www.kingracing.

King also plans a photo signing session at the track during the festival.

Good news for the people in Bahrain:

Bahrain's do-or-die World Cup soccer qualifier in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday will be telecast live on Bahrain Sports Channel. The match is being played at 1.30am at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain. Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation deputy head Khalid Al Zayani said it would be telecast after successful negotiations between the Tunisia-based Arab Broadcasting Union (ABU) and Brazilian-based Traffic Sports USA, which has the broadcasting rights. ABU will pay most of the amount. Traffic Sports had asked for $250,000 (BD94,500) but it was brought down to $110,000 (BD41,470).

BAHRAIN's national soccer team kicked off their training camp in Port-of-Spain ahead of their 2006 World Cup qualifying playoff first-leg against hosts Trinidad and Tobago scheduled for Sunday at 1.30am at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.

The second-leg match is scheduled for November 16 at the National Stadium in Riffa.

Both Bahrain and Trinidad are looking forward to booking a berth in next year's World Cup finals in Germany.

"It was a long and tiring journey for us," said Bahrain manager Abdulrazzaq Mohammed when Gulf Daily News contacted him at the Hilton Hotel in Port-of-Spain. "We flew from Bahrain to London where we waited for five hours before continuing our journey to Trinidad.

"It has been raining all day here, but the players are in spirits and raring to get on with the training."

The team arrived on Monday and strated training on Tuesday.

Mohammed said the team clear of any major injury worries. "All the players are in peak form except for midfielder Hussain Baba who has a niggling pulled nerve. But physiotherapist Khalil Rabea examined him and said he should be fit in the next two days," added Mohammed.

"We took the players around the local market yesterday before training just to help them relax. The players also watched tapes of Trinidad playing Guatemala and Mexico in their Concacaf zone," he said.

Psychologist Nabeel Taha, meanwhile, is working on the players mental make-up ahead of the do-or-die clash.

Mohammed said the Bahrain team will have a complete white outfit for the first-leg match while the hosts will be in their traditional dark red uniforms. Mohammed thanked Hilton Hotel's general manager Ali Khan for all his assistance. Khan worked at the Hilton Hotel in Bahrain before moving to Port-of-Spain.

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BAHRAIN's national team continued training yesterday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium prior to their World Cup qualifying first-leg playoff against Trinidad on Sunday (1.30am Bahrain time) in Port-of-Spain.

The second-leg is scheduled for Wednesday in Bahrain at the National Stadium in Riffa and the winners to book a berth in next year's World Cup finals in Germany.

As pressure began to mount on both side looking for their first-ever ticket to the World Cup, Bahrian's coach Luka Peruzovic of Belgium calmed and composed supervising his team's training. The Belgian played down the crowd pressure factor and said his players were prepared for the challeng and confident of going through to the World Cup.

"Our players will love this atmosphere. For them, it will be very motivating," said Peruzovic.

Peruzovic, however, was concerned over the condition of the pitch.

"I suppose they will make the pitch better. Right now the pitch is a bit hard and some parts are not too good. We have a nice pitch in Bahrain," said the 53-year-old Belgian.

He added that his squad had overcome jet lag and and are now in peak physical and mental form.

"The players have recovered from the long trip. We were in a plane for almost 24 hours, but they are very ambitious and that is most important thing," he said.

Excuses

"I knew before we started that we had to travel two times. We have no excuses and we will try to do our best. I know Trinidad is a well experienced team. But we have also some good players and I hope we can have a good match," said Peruzovic.

"The most important thing for us was to get past Uzbekistan and to get to the final. This is the final. The first-half is away here and the second is at home," he said. "Before this stage, no one really knew about Bahrain and now everywhere people talk about Bahrain."

The return of Bahrain's star striker Ala'a Hubail, whom Trinidad's coach Leo Beenhakker has flatteringly labelled 'extremely dangerous', is bound to have Peruzovic smiling.

In a team known for their staunch rearguard, sturdy midfield, and never-say-die attitude, the diminutive Hubail adds a much-needed spark and panache in front of goal.

When asked what would be the perfect result for his team, he replied '3-0' with a laugh.

The dragster is something else...

I was there and it was so , so crowded , bahrainis and many from saudi and qatar attended the first day of the festival.

It was a sell out by all measures!

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BAHRAIN will be looking to clear a final hurdle in their quest to play in the World Cup finals when they take on Trinidad and Tobago tomorrow morning (1.30am Bahrain time, 6.30pm tonight Trinidad and Tobago time) in the final qualifying playoff. The same is the case with Trinidad to make this do-or-die match a mouth-watering clash of not just cultures but a showdown for a place in their sporting histories.

"We are getting better all the time and we will show to the world on Saturday that we are ready for the world stage," said a member of the Bahrain Football Association Yousef Hassan as the team members underwent a final training session at the Hasley Crawford Stadium.

Bahrain made it past the first qualifying round only in 2002.

"We think we have worked out on all their strengths and weaknesses and are now going for the kill," he said.

But Trinidad team members are also equally hungry for victory after having come so close to qualifying for the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

"This is our biggest ever effort to qualify for the World Cup yet and we are going to grab it with both hands," Trinidad sports minister Roger Boynes said yesterday.

A spot in next year's tournament would make Trinidad and Tobago only the second country in the English-speaking Caribbean to qualify after Jamaica's Reggae Boyz in 1998.

l Bahrain TV Sports Channel will also screen live the World Cup qualifying playoff match between Uruguay and Australia tonight starting at 11pm (Bahrain time) in Montevideo.

2 and half hours to GO!!!!!!!!

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/fifa/gen/fi/20051004/i/1878258216.jpg

ALAA hubail is hungryyyyy.. :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

I don't have a good feelin about this, well every Bahrain match, I can't trust them hehe, really. I have a score of 3-0 or 3-1 in my mind and I hope am totally wrong.

Will you guys stay until 1:30 am to see the match from the beginning?

I know Bahraini Spirit doesn't need to since he is in a different timezone :D, but what about everyone else?

the bahrain team playing tonight are the same full strength Asiun Cup team...the only difference? 1 years more expreince in professional football (for most)....Im not sying were gonna win but the win is within close reach. closer than it has ever been... :cheers:

im watchin it at 10:30, most ppl I know in Bahrain r staying up.....I wonder if the cafes will be open for the match that late..it wud be good fun to go and watch it with the shebab.

And that is why I will watch it tonight and support the team all the way

BAHRAIN GERMANY 2006

HUBAIL IS RUNNING OUT OF PATIENCE...

im watching spain and slovak now... after this match ktv3 immediately will broadcast bahrain and trinidad. cant wait, but someone said already, i cant trust bahrain. this team lost 3 matches with 1-0 scores, tied 0-0, won 2-1, then lost 2-3, then tied 1-1 and 0-0, was lucky to get away from uzbekistan's uncounted match...

on the other hand trinidad beat mexico, guatemala, panama, etc, so i think trinidad will win 1-0 maybe, bis inshallah bahrain wins, im with my khaleej friends :)

HUBAIL IS RUNNING OUT OF PATIENCE...


I'm counting on Talal and Salmeen.. Hubail..maybe not any more,, :sleepy:

Well just got back a little while ago from the gahwa..Its a tie, 1-1 for those of u who missed the game...And i believe the tie favours Bahrain...

Lets keep our fingers crossed... :)

Good score better than what I expected when I saw the score online. Although we won't have the services of salmeen due to two yellow cards, il baraka fil shabab o inshalla we make it. But yet again, the 2nd leg will be more difficult than the first one cause T&T will give it all they've got and they'll attack a lot.

Il7emdella o il bagy 3la Allah.

They played like lions,,,

i think the match was unfair for the bahrainis. the referee looked too friendly towards trinidad than with bahraini players, and trinidads goal (in my opinion) was a fluke. il la3ib shat-ha bil 6ayer :D

plus the guy who scored was a white englishman who ive never seen playing for trinidad before. they probably gave him tobagan nationality before the match.

i really think bahrain was unlucky after that goal. they deserved a win, they played the best. inshallah in bahrain you guys wash out trinidad, but watch out for silly defensive errors. ive been watching the match and it seems the players dont know how to co-operate with one another...

BAHRAIN players are set to go all out tonight in their quest to clear the final hurdle and clinch their first-ever ticket to the World Cup at the National Stadium. "We will go for it," declared Bahrain coach Luka Peruzovic ahead of the second-leg playoff against Trinidad and Tobago.

Bahrain not only hold an away goal advantage following a 1-1 draw in the first-leg in Port-of-Spain on Saturday, but also has the benfit of playing in front of their home fans.

But Bahrain have a few worries as two key players, captain and influential midfielder Mohammed Salmeen and key defender Abdulla Al Marzooqi will be unavailable due to suspensions

"The players are very motivated and I like their sense of pride. I'm enjoying every minute with them," said the 53-year-old Belgian who took over from German Wolfgang Sidka.

Peruzovic denied that Bahrain would adapt defensive tactics to safe guard the away goal advantage.

Peruzovic also declined to name the replacements for Salmeen and Al Marzooqi.

But it is widely believed that star striker Aal'a Hubail will start the match for the first time in eight months following a long term injury.

"We will play our normal game, like we did in the first-leg. But it's going to be a tough match for both sides," added Peruzovic.

On his part, Beenhakker expressed faith in his players and said that he was confident of his team booking a slot in the 2006 World Cup to be held in Germany.

"We respect Bahrain who played a good match at our ground. It is also true that some of our players disappointed in the first-leg.

"But they are now keen to work harder here. I just want my players to play a normal game in the second-leg," said the 63-year-old Dutchman.

Like Bahrain, Trinidad are also chasing their first-ever ticket to the World Cup.

Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia and South Korea are the four other Asian countries already in the World Cup fray.

MANAMA: Bahrain's national football team could be in for a BD2.1 million World Cup bonus if they get past Trinidad and Tobago tonight and reach the finals in Germany next year. MPs yesterday approved the incentive, despite laughing the proposal out of parliament last month.

They took the decision in view of the team's performance in the first leg of the all-important qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday which they drew 1-1.

Bahrain will play the return leg at National Stadium tonight and if they qualify each player stands to get BD50,000, a new car, a government house and a BD1,000 monthly salary leading up to and during the World Cup next June.

link (http://gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=127009&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=28241)

That’s good incentive to win. :)

Ya, let's hope it works out that way.

Oh ya Saudi, the UAE and Qatar are sending cheering bands (rabe6a) over to Bahrain to cheer with the Bahraini one.

Also, Prince Sultan promised more gifts to the Bahrain team if we win, they basically want us to fly in one plane with Saudi to Germany if we qualify and also ordered Sami Al Jaber and two others to fly to Bahrain to attend the match. Inshalla, please god.

Red Bull Racing have confirmed that they will launch their 2006 challenger in Bahrain, prior to the Bahrain Grand Prix, the opening event in next year's FIA Formula One World Championship.

A spokesperson for the Milton Keynes based squad told Reuters that the official unveiling would probably take place on the Thursday.

The new Ferrari powered RB2 meanwhile looks set to make its track debut at the end of December - and early indications are positive.

"The 2006 car is progressing well and I'm sure will be step forward for us," said team boss, Christian Horner, who has since managed to secure the services of top McLaren designer, Adrian Newey. Newey will join the team in February.

Who will partner David Coulthard in the lead Red Bull team, however is still unknown.

"An announcement will probably be towards the end of the month, perhaps the beginning of next month," added Horner.

Vitantonio Liuzzi and Christian Klien are the two candidates, whoever is passed over, will link up with Scott Speed at the former Minardi team, now also owned by Red Bull and set to be known as Squadra Toro Rosso in 2006 - Italian for 'Team Red Bull' - effectively the 'junior' outfit.

link (http://www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view.asp?cid=1&nid=122240)

As always, Saad Specialist Hospital wins:

CHARITY was once again the real winner in the Bahrain Marathon Relay as organisers announced that they had topped their BD20,000 target. More than 1,800 runners took part in the event in which Saad Track Club team from across the causeway once again blazed ahead with flying honours.

Saad Specialist Hospital A took the top position in the international elite men/mixed category in two hours, 19 minutes and nine seconds, a new course record.

They were followed by Saad Specialist Hospital E with a time of two hours, 24 minutes and 59 seconds and Saad Specialist Hospital KSA with two hours, 29 minutes and 33 seconds.

Saad Medical Centre Ladies won the international elite ladies category clocking in at two hours, 45 minutes and 50 seconds while the club's Ladies 1 team won the open ladies category with a time of three hours, four minutes and 54 seconds.

Mansouri Mansions took the top spot in the open men/mixed category with a time of two hours, 41 minutes and 17 seconds and also won in the hotels cateogory. They were followed by American Express (Amex) Gold with two hours, 46 minutes and four seconds and Aluserv with two hours, 54 minutes and nine seconds. Amex Gold also won the Sponsors Trophy and a prize in the financial institutions category.

Naseem International School won the schools cateogory with a time of three hours, 23 minutes and 18 seconds.

Busaiteen Club beat out five other clubs to win in the brand new Bahrain sports club category, which was established to encourage higher local participation. They clocked in two hours, 58 minutes and 24 seconds.

British Airways UK won in the airlines category with three hours, 14 minutes and 15 seconds.

Bahrain Black Hash was first among the Hash Houses with three hours, 32 minutes and 41 seconds.

The new construction company category was won by Kooheji Contracting with three hourse, 31 minutes and 33 seconds.

The runners were assisted by 350 marshals and timekeepers.

The 48-kilometre race kicked off at 10am at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) and ended at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa.

It was organised by the Bahrain Round Table (BRT) and held under the patronage of General Organisation for Youth and Sports (Goys) president Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.

Organising committee chairman Steve Williams said that it was a great day out which everyone enjoyed.

"We had 108 teams registered with 107 actually running," he said.

"We reached our BD20,000 target but we are still counting revenue from merchandising, raffles and others."

Mr Williams said the organisation went well, partly due to the General Directorate of Traffic supplying more policemen this year to control traffic along the route of the race.

One man was hit by a car while racing but was not seriously injured and was taken to hospital for treatment, he said.

Mr Williams said crowd control barriers set up at all the handover stages for the first time helped to keep traffic problems to a minimum.

Eastern Province-based Saad Track Club manager Ian Wilson said that he was pleased with his teams' record-breaking performance.

"We had a mix of young athletes in their late teens and older athletes," he said.

"They included world class athletes who run at international events around the world.

"The weather was cool, although it was a bit windy."

Mr Wilson also welcomed the addition of more categories to the event.

"It's good for local athletes to be able to compare themselves to world class athletes but at the same time have a chance to win," he said.

Mr Wilson also commended traffic police for a job well done especially the outriders who accompanied the runners as they crossed the finish line.

Naseem International School athletics director Mudar Al Mousa was proud of his 10th, 11th and 12th grade students for winning the school category in a very tight competition against St Christopher's School.

"We trained hard for the competition for over two months," he said.

"It was a neck to neck competition and it was only a few seconds between the two teams."

Amex team captain Abdulrazzaq Al Derazi said that competition was tougher because there were more teams taking part.

"Although there were fewer financial institutions this time, we felt that the competition was really tough," he said.

"It was a very well organised event which is getting better every year."

Raffle draw winners

THE holder of ticket number 02163 won the BD1,000 first prize of the Bahrain Marathon Relay charity raffle.

Other winning numbers are 19099, 13503, 10344, 13512, 19443, 14686, 15204, 13328, 19049, 14732, 05394, 02571, 03192, 14328, 08539, 08519, 04518, 14567, 03158, 04511, 04456, 15138, 15137, 04439, 04502, 12436, 19505, 05351, 02145, 15005.

Winners can contact raffle coordinator Ayman El Gayar on 17725701 between 10am and 3pm.

these guyz ALWAYS WIN!! they should be banned from the race ahha

BAHRAINI bowler Nadia Aqeel finished fifth in the Qubica AMF Bowling World Cup which concluded yesterday in Slovenia.

Nadia was the only Arab woman who reached the semi-finals during which the best eight bowlers from across the world competed for the title.

Nadia, who is also a member of the Batelco team, put up a commendable performance all through the earlier rounds when she courageously faced and overcame fierce competition from world-class bowlers.

"This laudable achievement is a pride, not only for Batelco, or Bahrain, but for the Arab world as a whole because this is the first time an Arab woman has reached the final round in the bowling world cup," said Batelco's corporate affairs head Ahmed Al Janahi.

Meanwhile, Bahrain Bowling Association president Abdulla Al Dossary congratulated Nadia on this achievement and praised her performance throughout the week-long tournament.

He thanked the General Organisation for Youth and Sports president Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa for his support to the player during the tournament.

these guyz ALWAYS WIN!! they should be banned from the race ahha

They hire world class athletes where every runner completes the 3 Km leg in around 8 seconds. That's why they're always top.

We won the schools division in my senior year, back at the time.

ya i went for 2 years for st.chris...we won a couple of times!

حرقوا الكثير من الإطارات وأبدوا سعادتهم من استضافة الحلبة
الفيراري* ‬ينهي* ‬تجاربه السرية ويغادر البحرين

من المفترض أن* ‬يكون الفريق التقني* ‬لفريق الفيراري* ‬الإيطالي* ‬للسيارات والمشارك ضمن سباقات الفورمولا واحد قد* ‬غادر ليلة البارحة مملكة البحرين بعد أن قام بإجراء تجارب* »‬سرية*« ‬بعيدا عن أعين الإعلام والصحافة وعدسات المصورين على مضمار حلبة البحرين الدولية تمت خلالها تجربة السيارة النفاثة الجديدة للفريق الأحمر والذي* ‬بات في* ‬حكم المؤكد أن* ‬يتم استخدامها للمرة الأولى في* ‬سباق جائزة البحرين الكبرى الافتتاحي* ‬الموسم القادم*.‬
هذا وركزت تجارب فريق الفيراري* -‬التي* ‬بدأت منذ* ‬يوم الخميس الماضي* ‬حيث بدأ توافد الفريق التقني* ‬المعني* ‬بإجراء التجارب إلى البحرين*- ‬على الإطارات بمختلف أنواعها،* ‬إذ وصلت مع الفريق أطنان من الإطارات وصلت لقرابة *٠٠٣ ‬إطار من نوعيات مختلفة أنتجتها شركة إطارات بريدجستون خصيصا للفريق الأحمر،* ‬وجاء التركيز على الإطارات في* ‬السيارة الجديدة بعد أن عانى الفريق الذي* ‬سيطر خلال السنوات الخمس الماضية على بطولتي* ‬الصانعين والسائقين عبر بطل العالم الأسطوري* ‬الألماني* ‬مايكل شوماخر* »٧ ‬مرات رقم قياسي*« ‬من مشاكل في* ‬الإطارات أدت إلى خسارة الفريق اللقبين لصالح فريق الرينو*.‬
وسمع أهالي* ‬المنطقة الواقعة بقرب حلبة البحرين وطلبة الجامعة زئير محركات سيارات الفيراري* ‬الجديدة طوال أيام التجارب منذ الصباح الباكر،* ‬إذ كان الفريق الأحمر* ‬يبدأ تجاربه منذ الساعة السابعة والنصف صباحا وينهيها في* ‬الرابعة مساء،* ‬حيث قام بتجربة السيارة الجديدة كل من سائقي* ‬التجارب مارك جيني* ‬ولوكا بادوير حيث لم* ‬يحضر للبحرين السائقان الأساسيان مايكل شوماخر والبرازيلي* ‬فيليبي* ‬ماسا الذي* ‬انضم للفريق بدلا من مواطنه المخضرم روبنز باريكيلو الذي* ‬انضم لفريق البار هوندا*.‬
ولم* ‬يعلم بعد عدد السيارات التي* ‬قام فريق الفيراري* ‬بتجربتها إلا أنه تمت ملاحظة وجود سيارتين في* ‬المضمار دائما ومن المتوقع أن تكون بمواصفات مختلفة،* ‬ولم* ‬يحضر مع الفريق التقني* ‬كل من المدير الفني* ‬جون تود أو المدير التقني* ‬دينيس روس اللذين* ‬يعتبران العقل المدبر للفريق الأحمر*.‬
وأبدى الفريق التقني* ‬للفيراري* ‬الذي* ‬عمل بجد من أجل تهيئة السيارة لموسم جديد* ‬يضمن عودة الفيراري* ‬للقمة عن سعادتهم بكافة الخدمات التي* ‬نجحت حلبة البحرين الدولية في* ‬تقديمها لهم،* ‬خاصة وأنه كان من ضمن طلبهم أن توفر لهم أجواء خالية من رجال الصحافة والإعلام والحضور الجماهيري* ‬وضمان الأمن والسلامة،* ‬وكل هذه المسائل نجحت فيها حلبة البحرين الدولية باقتدار،* ‬الأمر الذي* ‬يعتبر إنجازا لها في* ‬أول استضافة لتجارب فريق من فرق المقدمة قبل إنطلاق الموسم*.‬
هذا ومن المتوقع أن تحذو عدة فرق حذو الفيراري* ‬في* ‬القيام بتجاربها على حلبة البحرين الدولية قبل موعد افتتاح الموسم بسباق البحرين الجولة الأولى من بطولة العالم *٦٠٠٢ ‬وتحديدا في* ٢١ ‬من مارس القادم*.‬

http://www.bahraingp.com.bh/wp-content/files/Image/races-gt-1.jpg http://www.bahraingp.com.bh/wp-content/files/Image/races-gt-3.jpg http://www.bahraingp.com.bh/wp-content/files/Image/races-gt-7.jpg http://www.bahraingp.com.bh/wp-content/files/Image/races-gt-12.jpg

The countdown is on - with only 24 hours to go preparations are well underway at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) for the final round of the FIA GT Championship 2005.

Held this Thursday and Friday (24th and 25th November), some of the fastest and most promising names in motorsport will gather to battle it out in their last bid to take the 2005 Championship title.

Household names including Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche, Saline, Lister and Aston Martin, will take to the track under the control of world class GT drivers, each seeking to close the narrow margins currently separating the top performing drivers.

An exhilaratingly close season has left just four points between the leading four drivers, with former Grand Prix driver Karl Wendlinger and Andrea Bertolini sharing the lead. These two not only have to now try to knock each other from the Championship top spot but must also hold of attacks from the other two drivers able to claim the title in Bahrain.

Despite being the first time that Bahrain has hosted the event, what makes this year’s Final Round of the FIA GT Championship all the more exciting is the additional bonus of combining top class motorracing with Bahrain’s world famous Herman Tilke-designed track. The opportunities for overtaking are second to none and the arid strewn rolling hills provide the most beautiful of desert backdrops.

‘It is important that drivers and teams are given the opportunity to compete in new events outside Europe’, said Martin Whitaker, General Manager of the BIC, ‘this race is as important to the BIC as it is to the competitors themselves as it provides a global bridge within motor- racing as well as an introduction to the Middle East as a unique cultural backdrop to the sport.’

The Bahrain International Circuit, now in its second year of operation and the ‘Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’, is the most technically advanced racing circuit in the World. Tribute to this, amongst other events, it has recently been awarded the honour of holding the opening race of next year’s 19 race FIA Formula One Championship to be held on 12th March 2006.

Well apparently Bahrain wants to change it's soccer or football league from an amateurs one to a professional by may 2006:

تشير انباء بعض الصحف المحلية في البحرين الى انه سيطبق في البحرين نظام دوري المحترفين من توقيع عقود للاعبين المحلين البحرينين مع انديتهم..حيث سيكون متاح للاندية تسجيل لاعبيها في كشفين منفصلين مكونة من القائمة الاساسية والقائمة الاحتياطية(الفريق الرديف) ويصل مجموع الاعبين المسجلين الى 50 لاعب..

ومن المتوقع ان تصدر اخبار اخرى في الايام المقبلة عن هذا الخبر والذي يتوقع ان يتم تطبيقه في اول مايو من العام المقبل وذلك بعد ان انهى الفيفا مشكلة الاعب راشد عبد الرحمن لاعب الشعب واصدر قرار بانهاء صفة الاعب الهاوي...

wat do u mean by a professional one? by like bringing in international players? hmmm their first job should be to build stadiums around or mayb in sahkir city..

I suppose instead of playin for fun, it's your job. I don't think the league is in a position to attract world class players, not even close.

BAHRAIN'S national soccer team manager Abdulrazzaq Mohammed has resigned from his job following the Kingdom's defeat at the hands of Trinidad and Tobago on November 16.

The Bahrain Football Association has appointed Isa Al Kuwari as the new manager of the team ahead of the West Asian Games to be held in Doha from Thursday to December 10, according to BFA general secretary Ahmed Jassim.

Jassim also denied rumours that coach Luka Peruzovic was to be sacked following the team's exit from the qualifying fray for a berth in the 2006 World Cup to be held in Germany.

The 53-year-old Croatian will continue to manage the team till his contract ends in June next year, added Jassim.

Bahrain will be taking part in handball, volleyball, bowling, athletics, shooting and fencing at the Doha games.

Russian Age Racing took pole position followed by JMB Racing in second and third positions after the qualifying rounds of the 11th and final round of the FIA GT Championship at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) yesterday.

The Russian Age team consisted of Frenchman Christophe Bouchut and Antonio Garcia of Spain while the JMB team of Italy's Andrea Bertolini and Karl Wendlinger of Austria took second spot of the grid followed by their teammates - Philipp Peter of Austria and Great Britain's Jamie Davies.

Some of the top cars in motorsports - including the Corvette C5R, the Ferrari 550 and 575 Maranello, the Maserati MC 12, the Lister Storm, the Lamborghini Murcielago and the Saleen S7 - lined up for a truly breathtaking "battle of the super cars".

There are seven drivers still in with a chance of taking the drivers' title with just one point separating the top two, Wendlinger and Bertolini topping the table on 71 points.

However with these two also starting from the front row of the grid the battle to be the first GTdriver crowned in Bahrain goes down to the wire.

The first GT Championship race also sees the first-ever Bahrain competitor take his seat alongside these seasoned professionals. Shaikh Jaber bin Ali Al Khalifa, more used to the role of an F-16 fighter pilot, takes his seat in the 69 Proton Competition team and is very much looking forward to competing in the Porsche.

"Speed is in my blood. The car is a bit slower than the F16, but the scenery passes by at the same sort of speed. On the ground you have to respect the barriers, while in the F16 there are not many barriers. I am honoured to be in this event, and to meet all the teams," Shaikh Jaber said.

BIC general manager Martin Whitaker said, "It is a pleasure to have the GT team returning to the BIC, this time in an actual leg of the championship. It's a wonderful sight to see the track being used so often, especially by cars of this calibre and I am looking forward to seeing them wind up the Championship here tomorrow afternoon."

A Thunder Arabia - Formula Zip race was also held yesterday as a support event for the GT Championship.

Sixteen-year-old Bahraini Raed Raffi won the first race for the Bahrain Young Guns team followed by Briton Jamie Morrow from the Thunder Arabia Racing team and third place was captured by Bahrain's Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa of the BIC racing.

Meanwhile, spectators were also treated to an exciting line up of entertainment activities that included, for the first time in Bahrain, the opportunity to go bungee jumping.


1 Bouchut/Garcia, Aston Martin DBR9; 2 Bertolin/Wendilnger, Maserati MC12 GT1; 3 Peter/Davies, Maserati MC12 GT1; 4 Babini/Biagi, Maerati MC12 GT1; 5 Lamy/Gardel, Ferrari 550 Maranello; 6 Bartela/ Scheider, Maserati MC12 GT1; 7 Zacchia/ Narac/ Berville, Ferrari 550 Maranello; 8 Deletraz/ Piccini, Ferrari 575 Maranello GTC; 9 Lechner/ Ruberti, Saloon S7 R; 10 Longin/ Kumpen/ Hezemans, Corvette C5R; 11 Cioci/Montermini, Ferrari 575 Maranello GTC; 12 Foemnko/ Vasillev, Ferrari 550 Maranello; 13 Keen/Halliday, Lister Storm GT; 14 Lacko/Konrad, Saleen S7 R; 15 Lieb/ Rockenfeller, Porsche 996 GT3 RSR; 16 Collard/ Sugden, Porsche 996 GT3 RSR; 17 Bleekemolen/ Crevels, Spyker C8 Spyder GT2 R; 18 Drudi/Pirri/Pregllasco, Ferrari 360 Modena; 19 Moro/Kaufmann, Porsche 996 GT3 RSR; 20 Rapetti/ Moccia, Porsche 996 GT3 RSR; 21 Kuppens/Leinders/Ickx, Vertigo Streiff; 22 Konopka/Rosina, Porsche 996 GT3 RSR; 23 Vonka/ Casadei, Porsche 996 GT3 RS; 24 Waaijenberg/ Kutemann, Ferrari 360 Modena; 25 Ried/Jaber Al Khalifa, Porsche 996 GT3 RS.

http://www.fiagt.com/system/_showimg.php?countkey=0&key=2870&season=2005&event=11&size=3

A thrilling end to the 2005 season, with another action packed race.

Gabriele Gardel is the 2005 GT1 Drivers Champion, after another excellent performance in the nr 11 Larbre Competition Ferrari 550 Maranello
Russian Age Racing takes its first win; the Aston Martin DBR9 claims its first privateer victory.
GruppeM claim a clean sweep in GT2

GO U.A.E.
http://www.fiagt.com/system/_showimg.php?countkey=3&key=2876&season=2005&event=11&size=3
http://www.fiagt.com/system/_showimg.php?countkey=19&key=2896&season=2005&event=11&size=3

GO BAHRAIN
http://www.motorsport.com/photos/fia-gt/2005/bah/fiagt-2005-bah-tm-0302.jpg
The first GT Championship race also sees the first ever Bahrain competitor take his seat alongside these seasoned professionals. Shaikh Jaber Bin Ali Al Khalifa, more used to the role of an F-16 fighter pilot, takes his seat in the 69 Proton Competition team and is very much looking forward to competing in the Porsche. He commented, "Speed is in my blood. The car is a bit slower than the F16, but the scenery passes by at the same sort of speed. On the ground you have to respect the barriers, while in the F16 there are not many barriers. I am honoured to be in this event, and to meet all the teams."

http://pix.crash.net/view/120823.jpg

Grand plans for opening F1 race

http://gulf-daily-news.com/source/xxviii/268/images/44BIC.jpg

BAHRAIN International Circuit (BIC) yesterday unveiled plans to make the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, set for March 12, better than ever.

The event will kick off the new Formula One season with the eyes of the world focused on Bahrain and all the pre-race attention that goes with such a prestigious event..

BIC general manager Martin Whitaker revealed that an array of events will be lined-up in the weeks prior to the Grand Prix as well as a package of entertainment over the weekend of the event.

Present at the media briefing was director of PR and Government Affairs Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa.

"It's a great honour for us in Bahrain to be given the opening race of the new season and we are determined to put on a good show," said Whitaker.

Last month Ferrari were in Bahrain for testing and they are set to return in February. "It's going to be great publicity for Bahrain and will benefit the local economy with around 400 million television viewers expected to tune in," said Whitaker.

The BIC general manager also revealed that around $240 million has been pumped back into the economy of Bahrain in the past two years as a result of the F1 Grand Prix.

The BIC will be working with companies, government organisations and the private sector to maximise the benefits from the event.

"Ticket prices will be lowered to as little as BD25 and anyone buying a three-day package will be able to do a pit walk on the Thursday prior to the race and get close to the drivers," added Whitaker.

Among ideas unveiled are spectator-friendly activities designed to appeal to a wide range of audiences, such as activities on-track and within the F1 village including driver autograph sessions, off-road passenger rides, climbing walls and slides for children, driver action simulators and Top Fuel Dragster demonstration runs.

"Our plans include a wide range of activities for children, bungee jumping, fire-eaters, face-painters and henna artists.

On the track itself a Pro-Celebrity and Super Porsche Cup race is planned along with Red Bull's aerobatic stunt planes, a Harley Davidson parade and muscal entertainment.

"The planning and organisation for next year's race is better than ever and we are confident that the 2006 race will be even bigger and better than anything we have done before," said Whitaker. The launch of 'Festival' events will be organised in February by the Directorate of Culture and National Heritage in co-ordination with the Economic Development Board (EDB). Next week the BIC will launch its first newsletter 'Driven' targetting the corporate and motorsport community and will be printed in English and Arabic focusing on the Grand Prix in its first issue. "It's important we bring Grand Prix fever to Bahrain and with the prospect of an exciting season on the horizon, new teams and drivers, this was the time to get the campaign moving," said Whitaker. Tickets will be available at various outlets around Bahrain priced from BD25 to BD150 and will be available at the BIC stand in Seef Mall in front of Starbucks the BIC's authorised resellers located at the PIT Shop at the BIC, Euphoria at Seef Mall, Motorox Cafe, Official Grand Prix Merchandise at Al A'ali Complex, Jawad Supermarket, Jawad Dome (Food Garden), Al Bindaira Cafe near Al Abraaj in Sanad and Mega Mart opposite Starbucks in Juffair. For more information contact the BIC on 17450000.

Manama, Dec. 17 HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, watched Bahrain Equestrian, Fahd Sulaiman snatching the World Junior Endurance Championship for the first time in the event's history.
The world-class victory made by the Bharaini equestrian coincided with Bahrain's celebrations of the National Day and HM's accession to the throne. Fahd, Sulaiman, one of the Endurance junior champions outdid 140 male and female equestrians from all over the globe at the 120- kilometer race held on Saturday. The Champion, Fad Sulaiman was congratulated for the achievement by HM the King who has been keen to watch Bahraini equestrians since the kick off the race at 5.00 p.m. which was signaled by GOYS President, Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, the Head of the Organizing Committee. Fahd, aged 14, who rode Lumir Loryan for Shaikh Faisal bin Rashid Al Khalifa, is regarded one of the outstanding endurance equestrians in the Kingdom of Bahrain. While congratulating equestrian Fahd, HM the King valued the achievement, tipping it "historic" as the Bahraini equestrian secured the first position after 5 hours 38.o7 minutes, followed by Shaikh Faisal Al Qasimi from the UAE in the second place and in the third place Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Rashid Al Maktoum from the UAE, followed consecutively by Belgium's and Australia's equestrians. The victory was billed by Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa a historic moment for the Kingdom of Bahrain, hailing HM the King's encouragement of the Endurance sport. Shaikh Nasser secured the 7th place in the race but Shaikh Khalid left the competition during the second stage due to the injury of his horse. As to Shaikha Najla'a bint Salman bin Saqr, she came fifth recording 6.07.25 hours. at the level of teams, Australia came first, France second, Brazil third and Bahrain fourth.

http://static.flickr.com/41/74491887_d9cd427758_o.jpg
Fahd Sulaiman

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Shaikha Najla bint Salman bin Saqer Al Khalifa

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SEVEN Formula BMW teams began testing yesterday at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir after a successful Formula BMW World Final.

The teams decided to extend their stay and test their cars at the Middle East's only Grand Prix Circuit following a first and third place finish in the BMW final.

The teams - M-Holzer Rennsport GmbH, ASL Team Muecke-motorsport, Meritus, Filsell Motorsport, Motaworld Racing, Promatecme / Soper Sport and Team Autotecnica - which represent all four championships - the UK, Asian, German and the US - will continue testing today.

"The Formula BMW World Final event was a huge success for all involved and I know how much those who participated valued the event in terms of enjoyment and the experience they gained," said BIC general manager Martin Whitaker.

"Based on the event's success, seven teams decided to stay and test their cars here at the 'Home of Motorsports in the Middle East'. We have a phenomenal facility here in Bahrain and I look forward to the circuit attracting many more teams from various championships to use the facility here to benefit their team's growth," he said.

The inaugural Formula BMW World Final brought together contestants representing 15 different countries all competing with one sole objective in mind, the chance to test for the new BMW Sauber F1 team and a generous winners purse of $60,000

is racing more popular in bahrain than football?

is racing more popular in bahrain than football?

Yes racing is VERY big in Bahrain, especially drag. Then looking at the poor performance of our football team drag has become even more popular; and this guy is our Ronaldinho..

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Ali Aryan

^^ if your wondering what those two white things shooting up from the hood are? its Nitrous Oxide aka LAUGHING GAS :D

LOL< why laughing gas?

Nitrous Oxide when inhaled produces insensibility to pain preceded by mild hysteria, sometimes laughter.

you’ve never been to the dentist?

I took this snap-shot of the f1 site (http://www.formula1.com/) a few moments ago, great picture.
http://static.flickr.com/37/75247245_385e6fe25f_o.jpg

so who's going??

I think i might...I was away last year...And this yr it sounds sorta exciting, and the weather will hopefully be good :)

i'm going for sure.. like every year

I won't be goin, not in Bahrain. Enjoy guys, I think this race will be the best, especially since it's the first :).


AL NASSER CLAIM TITLE

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BAHRAIN's Al Nasser last night clinched the title in the first Friendship Clubs Volleyball Championship defeating Qatar Club 25-22, 21-25, 23-25, 25-16 15-9 at the Juffair Youth Centre. Another Bahrain club Al Najma secured the runners-up spot defeating Qatar's Rayyan Club 25-21, 25-16, 25-15.

Al Nasser, the Bahrain league champions, were captained by Sadiq Ibrahim and consisted of Hassan Dhahi, Mahmood Abdulla, Ali Hassan, Ali Abdul Amir, Ali Abdul Hussain and Hussain Ali.

The Qatar Club, the league champions from Doha, was led by captain Mohammed Amer and consisted of Saeed Faraj, Mohammed Salim, Ali Ghanim, Ismail Al Sheap, Ziyad Abdul Majid, Mohammed Abu Wadfah and Brazilian star Endaria.

The championship was held under the patronage of the Bahrain Volleyball Association president Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.

Secretary-general of the Bahrain Olympic Committee Shaikh Abdulrahman bin Rashid Al Khalifa, BVA officials, representatives of the sponsors and other dignitaries attended the match.

Event sponsors were National Bank of Bahrain, Alba and Qatar Airways.

they dropped the prices of some of the tickets in order for more people to attend, hopefully there won’t be empty seats this year. :)

http://static.flickr.com/37/77733215_c6469f13eb_o.jpg
check out the corporate price :D

As usual, no luck in groups:


BAHRAIN IN TOUGH GROUP

SINGAPORE: Bahrain were pitted against arch rivals Kuwait and 2006 World Cuppers Australia in the 2007 Asia Cup qualifying draw which was made yesterday. Defending champions Japan were pitted with fellow World Cup campaigners Saudi Arabia. Zico's men avoided South Korea and arch-rivals China, whom Japan beat 3-1 in a bad-tempered final in Beijing in 2004 - overcoming a wave of intimidation dished out by Chinese fans bristling at Japan's wartime past.

Guus Hiddink's Australia, which will be competing in an Asian Cup for the first time after offically joining the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) this month, and are expected to have a tough tme. Lebanon is the fourth team in this group.

It means the Australians face three long journeys to the Middle East where they will have little support. Kuwait are always difficult to beat at home while Bahrain shocked everyone by making the semi-finals in China and the final World Cup playoff against Trinidad which they lost 2-1 on aggregate.

Lebanon, meanwhile, have a sizable expatriate population in Australia for support.

On the flip side, the shorter travelling distance from Europe could encourage Australia's European-based stars like Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka and Tim Cahill to make the trip.

AFC president Mohammed Bin Hammam said there was no excuse for them not to play.

"It is easy for them to travel," he said. "Australia are lucky because all their games in the Middle East are only five hours or so from Europe." But Gary Moretti, a Football Australia official, said it was not that easy, pointing out that February 22 was not a Fifa match day - meaning clubs are not duty-bound to release players.

"The challenge for us will be to see what sort of squad we are able to assemble for these games because it won't be easy to get a full-strength team out every time," he said.

Also in Japan's group are India and Yemen, with the top two going through to the finals from July 9 to 27, 2007, which will be co-hosted by Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.

The co-hosting is a decision the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) now regrets.

"It is proving very difficult for us. We have to have four organising committees, four media centres and there are also financial considerations," AFC president Mohammed Bin Hammam said.

"It was my mistake. If we had a choice we definitely wouldn't do it again."

Japan and Saudi Arabia have both won the Asian Cup three times. The two met in the final in 2000, with Japan emerging victorious 1-0.

"We will field our first team for all the matches," said Kohzo Tashima, technical director of the Japan national team. "The group is not that easy and we have to make our qualification doubly sure."

Twenty-four Asian teams went into the hat for the draw with the qualifying games to be played on February 22, March 1, August 16, September 6, October 11 and November 15.

South Korea, led by Dick Advocaat, will take on Asia's number two team Iran in Group B. Both sides will also be in Germany at the World Cup this year. Taiwan and Syria round out their group.

"I am satisfied with the draw. We will have no major difficulties to advance to the next round," said Song Ki-Ryong, a spokesman for the Korea Football Association.

China also should have no problem progressing against minnows Palestine but Iraq and fast-improving Singapore could cause them a headache.

Bin Hammam said he expected all the top teams to progress, and was relieved that the possibility of three leading teams being drawn in the same group didn't happen.

"It could have been a worse scenario, where one of the top teams faced elimination, but now I think all the top teams will go through," he said.

"From our point of view, the commercial side of things is going well. The TV is fixed up and all we need now is for the fans to fill the stadiums," he said.

Pakistan, the UAE, Oman and Jordan will fight for honours in Group C while Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Qatar and Uzbekistan are pitted in Group F.

The Asian Cup was first played in 1956.

you’ve never been to the dentist?
no, i have never gotten laughing gas from a dentist. but i dont understand why that car would be giving off laughing gas.

Yeah thats a hard group but i thik we can go through with second place.

Inshalla itgoom bil salama ya saleh:

Soccer hero hurt in car crash

MANAMA: Bahrain's soccer team member and Riffa Club captain Saleh Farhan was being treated in hospital last night after he was seriously injured in a car crash on Shaikh Jaber Highway, Sitra, reports RAMI HULAYYEL.

He was driving to Manama from Riffa early in the morning when he lost control of his Land Cruiser, which crashed into a traffic signal, club member Ali Al Ansari told the GDN. Mr Farhan suffered serious head injuries and broken bones and has been admitted to Salmaniya Medical Complex's intensive care unit. The 24-year-old midfielder's last match was with Riffa during the Crown Prince's Cup final which they lost 2-1 to champions Muharraq last Monday.

Well congrats boys:

Bahrain stun Japan in final as Iran claim third spot
By Alaric Gomes, Staff Reporter



Dubai: Iran upset China 6-4 to snatch the third and final qualifying spot at the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup qualifying play-off held at Jumeirah Beach Park yesterday.

However, the bigger shock of the evening followed in the final when Bahrain dethroned champions and World Number Four Japan 5-3.

Both Japan and Bahrain had qualified for the 2006 Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup on Thursday with contrasting wins in the semifinals.

But with so much of pride at stake at being crowned the champions of Asia, it was Bahrain who came out with flying colours at the end of the gruelling final.

With their thrilling win, Iran became the third team to make it to the 2006 Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup to be held in Rio de Janeiro in the first half of November.

Iran coach Farshad Falahatzadeh was thrilled at cementing their first-ever appearance at a Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup. "To earn a ticket for the World Cup is an amazing achievement for my country," he said.

"And for this to happen in the same year Iran have qualified for the 2006 Fifa World Cup in Germany, is even better.

"Now that we have achieved what we had come here for, we will go back to Iran and start our preparations for the 2006 Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup."

Egged on by a large holiday crowd, Iran were comfortably ahead 4-1 at the end of the first period.

The hero for the Iranians was their fleet-footed striker Mohammad Ahmadzadeh, who came clean with a swift hattrick.

Men Ren pulled one back for China by the end of the period.

China fought back in the second 12-minute period scoring through Shi Zhong and Lu Wen to make the match alive.

However, Ali Mirza Ostavari scored a superb goal off a solo effort to distance the two teams further.

China did go all out and were rewarded with Lu Wen scoring from the spot. But an Ali Reza Rahimi goal ensured they were through to the World Cup.

The final proved to be a thrilling affair with Bahrain forcing their way to an early 3-0 lead at the end of the first period of play - best player Esmail Abdullah Omar scoring two of these and Esa Hassan getting one.

Omar went on to complete his hattrick early in the second period, and the match was all but over.

In an interesting stance, Fifa used referees from the UAE to officiate in the final despite having neighbouring Bahrain as one of the finalists.

"We want to promote the game of beach soccer, and at the same time, ensure that the local match officials also get the confidence needed in handling such pressure events," explained Fifa Beach Soccer official, Joan Cusco.

"Having referees from the UAE officiate at a game involving Bahrain is good enough to maintain neutrality," the official said.

Results

Third place play-off: Iran bt China 6-4.
Final: Bahrain bt Japan 5-3.
Best Goalkeeper: Hamed Ghorpanpour (Iran)
Highest Scorer: Kawaharazuka Takeshi (Japan)
Player of the Tournament: Esmail Abdullah Omar (Bahrain)
Bahrain, Japan and Iran qualify for the 2006 Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup

woooohoooo!! thats great news....what did they do, like put the field national team on or something?? :dance: :dance: !!

i tell you, our boys play better without shoes! lol they have a lot of experience in that field.

I am really proud of them well deserved..I wish I was able to watch some of the matched..

Anyways there are two boys who are doing great in the Pepsi Challenge as well.I watched that by chance and was rooting for the Bahraini kids who I think came second that day to only the Italians...There were kids from Brazil,England,Turkey,China,Egypt..everywhere and our boys did well.

Wel done bahrain

King hails beach soccer heroes
07/06/06

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HIS Majesty King Hamad yesterday congratulated the Bahrain national beach soccer team for booking a berth in the World Cup finals to be held in Rio de Janeiro from November 2 to 12.

His Majesty said he followed the team's matches throughout the Asian qualifying round which was held two weeks ago in the UAE where they finished on top defeating favourites Japan 5-3 in the final.

His Majesty praised the team's performance and stressed on having a well-planned training programme ahead of the World Cup.

His Majesty also congratulated the General Organisation for Youth and Sports (Goys) president Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.

The Bahraini team, led by Sayed Hassan Isa, made a stunning debut at the Asian qualifying round which was held at the Jumeirah Beach and proved the best among the six teams in the fray.

Royal Court minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Bahrain Football Association vice-president Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, BFA national teams committee vice-chairman Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa and delegation head Shaikh Ziyadh bin Faisal Al Khalifa were also present on the occasion.

Under their Brazilian coach Gustavo Silva, who is known as 'Guga', Bahrain beat Japan, who were third in last year's World Cup, in a close final. Abdulla Ismail won the best player award.

Bahrain became the first GCC country to book a berth in the World Cup finals Runners-up Japan and third place team Iran are the other two teams from Asia to qualifying for the 2006 World Cup.

Bahrain, who were placed in Group 'A' along with hosts the UAE and China, kicked off their campaign with a tough 7-4 win over the UAE before defeating China 3-0 to secure their place in the semi-finals.

In the semi-finals, they sealed the World Cup berth following an emphatic 7-2 win over Iran. Bahrain's winning run continued as they shocked Japan in the final.

link (http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=145655&Sn=SPOR&IssueID=29079)

I love that the King is doing this with sports...Our heroes deserve it too.Great News hope they come back with the WC.

BAHRAIN WORLD CUP 2010

Don't let the dream die.

Hahaha.. Not counting on it..

If we qualify, I'm happy.

Bahrain is a step closer to qualifying to the world cup!!! we won uzbekistan 1-0 to go into the playoffs!! i saw the match live it was great! Great goal!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTrWVWmT7Dc

I think we have to win saudi in the playoffs, then after that we play new zealand...
its going to be tough!

With our luck, we'll probably face-off with Iran (again.....) ... I think i read its one of the possibilities... Right...? hehe..

When will we know... When will this happen? Around September?

nah its confirmed were playing saudi...iran is out of qualifications...

What do you think of the goal lol?

Unbelievable goal by Ringo! The swerve was a reminiscence of Roberto Carlos on his heyday. Bahrainis shouldn't be able to shoot like that, I'm sure Ringo has Brazilian blood!

Qualification would be complicated since Mohammed bin Sakmeen would be suspended from the first leg and Abdullah al Marzoogi for both legs.

Good luck to our lads.

Alright the qualification playoffs in our National Stadium is at Septemeber 5th! Everybody try and make it, and create as much noise as possible! We gotta win this...

and if we don't (win)?

meh if we dont win we have another chance as we play against them again in Riyadh...but its not too likely we'll have a better game there..

Meh? Thats so 'persian'..

I wouldn't know :S

Walla 7aram, Bahrain should've won. I went to the stadium and it was full which was great to see. Hopefully we can get a good result in Riyadh. Bahrain played so well.


BAHRAIN missed a golden opportunity to boost their chances of reaching their maiden World Cup as they let Saudi Arabia off the hook in the first-leg of the Asian qualifier at the National Stadium early this morning.

The hosts took firm control on the proceedings but were unable to capitalise on any of the countless scoring opportunities they could create.

Both teams will now head for a return match, scheduled for Wednesday in Riyadh, to decide the team making further progress in this qualifying competition.

The winner of this two-leg playoff will take on Oceania champions New Zealand in another home-and-away matches for a place in the World Cup to be held next year in South Africa.

The Saudis enjoyed better history going into last night's cruch clash having qualified for the past four World Cups while Bahrain are yet to reach the finals, dramatically losing out to Trinidad and Tobago in a playoff for a spot in the German World Cup in 2006.

But the Bahrainis, under their 65-year-old Czech Republic tactician Milan Macala, played with a lot of confidence and remarkable composure.

Backed by more than 30,000 supporters, Bahrain looked more eager, determined and hungry to grab the initiative.

Bahrain started on a high note and nearly found the net after five minutes when striker Hussain Ali evaded past the Saudi defence and goalkeeper Waleed Abdulla, but his shot struck the post.

Goalkeeper Abdulla, who plays for Saudi Cup champions Al Shabab, was again called into action in the 30th minute when he tipped over a spectacular long-range effort from Bahrain's defender Sayed Mohammed Adnan.

The Saudis came to Bahrain missing several influential players, including playmaker Abdulrahman Al Qahtani and dangerous striker Nayef Hazzazi, both out with injuries.

But Jose Peseiro's squad featured other prominent players like midfielders Mohammed Noor and Mohammed Al Shelhoub, besides strikers Yasser Al Qahtani and Malek Moaz.

The Saudis gradually came back into the game and almost stunned the hosts 10 minutes into the second-half when Ahmed Ateef broke through on the right and his cross went towards Moaz. The latter, however, failed to control the ball.

Bahrain replied in similar fashion just a minute later when Salman Isa made a solo run on the left flank before setting up unmarked Ali who failed to capitalise on the golden opportunity.

The home side continued to press forward and Belgium-based striker Jaycee John could have given Bahrain a deserving lead in the 72nd minute, just a minute after he was introduced on the field, when he collected a good cross from Mohammed Hubail.

But his spectacular header was bravely tipped over by Saudi goalkeeper Abdulla.

Bahrain qualified and are going to play in the Asian Cup in Doha 2011 as some of you probably already know. The groups were drawn yesterday. This is Bahrains:

Group C
C1. Korea Republic
C2. India
C3. Australia
C4. Bahrain

More info:
http://www.the-afc.com/en/afc-asian-cup-news/28495-asian-cup-draw

http://www.the-afc.com/en/afc-asian-cup-news/28669-macala-and-bahrain-part-ways

Manama: Czech Milan Macala and Bahrain have parted ways by mutual consent.

The 67-year-old tactician failed to take Bahrain to the FIFA World Cup Finals after falling to New Zealand 1-0 on aggregate in the play-offs last year.

Macala joined Bahrain in June 2007 and oversaw their campaign in the AFC Asian Cup.

He was also instrumental in guiding them to this edition of the continental competition where they have been drawn with Korea Republic, Australia and India.

"The contract was ended in a mutual agreement between the two parties according to the decisions of the executive committee of the Football Association," said a Bahrain Football Association statement.

Bahrain finished second in the final round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers behind Australia and Japan before shocking four-time finalists Saudi Arabia in the AFC play-offs after a dramatic 2-2 draw in Riyadh.

But after also drawing 0-0 at home with New Zealand in the first leg, they suffered a 1-0 defeat in Wellington and lost their chance of making it to South Africa.

6 for my bahreini brothers who were excluded from the team