http://english.bna.bh/?ID=43956

date: 20 04, 2006

MANAMA, APRIL. 20, (BNA) UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF HIS MAJESTY KING HAMAD BIN ISA AL KHALIFA, HIS MAJESTY THE KING'S ENDURANCE RACING CHAMPIONSHIP WAS FLAGGED OFF.
A TOTAL OF 135 RIDERS FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES ARE TAKING PART IN THE 130 KILOMETERS SENIOR RACE AND 120 KILOMETERS JUNIOR RACE. SOME OF THE COUNTRIES TAKING PART IN THE RACE ARE BAHRAIN, UAE, SAUDI ARABIA, KUWAIT AND QATAR. UPON THE ARRIVAL OF HM THE KING TO THE ENDURANCE VILLAGE HE WAS WELCOMED BY PRESIDENT OF THE BAHRAIN ROYAL EQUESTRIAN AND ENDURANCE FEDERATION (BREEF), SHAIKH NASSER BIN HAMAD AL KHALIFA, FIRST DEPUTY PRESIDENT, SHAIKH KHALID BIN HAMAD AL KHALIFA, HEAD OF THE ENDURANCE COMMITTEE, SHAIKH FAISAL BIN RASHID AL KHALIFA AND A NUMBER OF OFFICIALS FROM THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE. THEN HM THE KING WATCHED PART OF THE RACE AFTER WHICH HE CONGRATULATED UAE'S SHAIKH HAZA'A BIN SULTAN BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN ON CLINCHING HM THE KING'S ENDURANCE CUP AND CONGRATULATED THE REST OF THE RIDERS WISHING THEM FUTURE SUCCESS IN OTHER CHAMPIONSHIPS. HE ALSO AFFIRMED THAT THE PARTICIPATION OF GCC RIDERS WITH THEIR FELLOW RIDERS IN BAHRAIN CREATES AN APPROPRIATE OPPORTUNITY TOWARDS FURTHER STRENGTHENING COOPERATION AMONG GCC YOUTH, WHICH IN ITS TURN HELPS ELEVATE THE STANDARDS OF THE SPORT. HM THE KING ALSO STRESSED ON THE EFFORTS EXERTED BY BREEF TO ORGANIZE THIS CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY AND IN PROVIDING ALL THE SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE TO THE PARTICIPATING RIDERS. HE ALSO WISHED THEM CONTINUED SUCCESS IN ACHIEVING THEIR ASPIRED GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. MEANWHILE, AL AREEN RESORT CHAIRMAN, SHAIKH AHMED BIN ALI AL KHALIFA, HAD EARLIER FLAGGED OFF THE START OF THE RACE. SHAIKH HAZA'A TOOK FIRST PLACE CLINCHING THE CHAMPIONSHIP CUP, WHILE HIS COUNTRYMAN, YOUSIF AL BALUCHI CAME IN SECOND AND SHAIKH KHALID BIN SULTAN AL NAHYAN CAME IN THIRD. THE JUNIORS CATEGORY WAS WON BY UAE RIDER, AMEER HUSSAIN AL BALUCHI, SECOND CAME BAHRAIN RIDER, SHAIKHA NAJLA BINT SALMAN BINT SAQER AL KHALIFA AND THIRD WAS SHAIKH SAQER BIN KHALID AL KHALIFA.