On September 8, 2025, the draw for six competitions in men’s and women’s futsal, handball, and volleyball took place in a ceremonial event held at the Gulf Hotel & Spa. This event is part of the Third Asian Youth Games (AYG), which will be hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain from October 22 to 31, 2025, under the gracious patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
The draw was conducted via video conferencing to ensure participation from all National Olympic Committees and representatives from the Asian federations of Football, Handball, and Volleyball. The event was attended by Mr. Ali Isa Eshaqi, a member of the Bahrain Olympic Committee and Vice President of the Asian Handball Federation, Mr. Yousef Duaij, Chairman of the Executive Committee for the Games, Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Abdulghaffar, Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee, and Mr. Ganesan Sundaram Moorthy, the Sports Director at the Olympic Council of Asia. The ceremony also featured the Games’ mascots: Shahab, the main mascot, alongside the welcoming mascots Najm and Dana.
The draw for the men’s futsal competition resulted in the following groups: Group ‘A’ will feature Bahrain, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and China, while Group ‘B’ includes Iran, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan. The women’s futsal draw saw Bahrain, Taipei, China, Iran, and Hong Kong placed in Group ‘A’ .
In the youth handball competition, the draw resulted in the following groups: Group ‘A’ features Bahrain, Jordan, and Thailand; Group ‘B’ includes Kuwait, China, and India; Group ‘C’ consists of Iran, the UAE, Kazakhstan, and Hong Kong; and Group ‘D’ comprises Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Uzbekistan, and the Maldives. For the women’s handball event, Group ‘A’ includes China, India, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Uzbekistan, Thailand, and Iran.
Finally, the draw for the youth volleyball competition resulted in Group ‘A” comprising Bahrain, Pakistan, and Mongolia; Group ‘B’ includes Iran, China, and Qatar; Group ‘C’ features Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Saudi Arabia; and Group ‘D’ includes Taipei, Thailand, and Indonesia.
The draw was conducted with great success, transparency, and outstanding organization by the Executive Committee, reflecting Bahrain’s serious preparations to showcase the event in the best possible way.
