The Saudi youth team emerged champion by finishing on top in the 11th Gulf Youth Athletics Championship at the Prince Naif Sports City in Qatif recently. Host Saudi Arabia bagged 22 medals while Kuwait won second place with 16 medals and Qatar third with 14 medals. Prince Nawaf Bin Mohammed, Chairman of the Saudi Arabian Athletics Federation and the higher organizing committee for the championship, awarded the teams. On the final day of the championship, the Saudi team added to its tally three more gold, two silver and one bronze. The first gold medal came when the 4x400m quartet extended Saudi Arabia's domination in the event to sixth straight year by romping home winner. Adel Al-Nasser, Ismail Al-Sibyani, Yunus Al-Hausah and Ali Al-Dir'an made the nation proud by clocking 3 minutes, 11.51 seconds. Kuwait team took 7.21 seconds more to take the second position and Qatar finished third. Imad Noor claimed the second gold by winning the 1500m in 4 minutes, 12.70 seconds. Atheletes from Oman and Qatar finished second and third respectively. Ismail Al-Sibyani clinched the third gold for Saudi Arabia by winning 200m in 20.68 seconds. Oman took the silver and Kuwait bronze. Kingdom's Mohammed Al-Ahsai won silver in decathlon after collecting 5,380 points. Oman's Ahmed Al-Miqbali topped the event with 5,612 points while Qatar's Mu'adh Al-Massri stood third with 5,286 points. Ali Al-Fardan of Saudi Arabia won the second silver in walking after crossing the 10 kilometers in 1 hour and 53 seconds. Qatar's Jibreel Rahmat took the gold in 50 minutes, 47.13 seconds. Saudi athlete Abdullah Fuad claimed the bronze. Saudi Arabia's Abdul Rahman Al-Omari won a bronze in javelin throw (54.34 meters). Qatar's Oday Amer won the gold and Kuwait's Abdul Hameed Nassar the silver. The high jump gold went to Qatar when Salman Al-Manna'iy cleared a height of 2.08 meters. Kuwait's Faraj Salim won the silver (2.08) and Qatar's Othman Al-Rabbah took the bronze (2.05).
