By Staff Reporter
MANAMA: UAE national team swimmer Hussain Shawqi captured the gold medal in the 50m butterfly with a time of 24.73 seconds, setting a new record for the event in the history of the Asian Youth Games.
He finished 0.24 seconds ahead of Hong Kong’s Lau Kin James, who secured the silver medal with a time of 24.97 seconds, while Wu Chao-Si of Chinese Taipei claimed the bronze, finishing third in 25.05 seconds.
In an exceptional feat achieved in under 24 hours, Hussain Shawqi competed in three finals at the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, maintaining his impressive streak of success. Earlier, he had qualified for the 50m butterfly final with a time of 25.16 seconds, finishing 0.42 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, before going on to claim the bronze medal in the 50m freestyle on Monday.
With this victory, the UAE’s medal tally rose to 19 medals — 8 gold, 6 silver, and 5 bronze — placing the nation sixth overall and first among Arab countries. China maintained its lead with 98 medals, followed by Uzbekistan with 40, and Thailand in third place with 33 medals.
Golden champion Hussain Shawqi affirmed that true achievement stems from discipline, dedication, and commitment in training, as well as from making the most of every competition and opportunity — a philosophy instilled by the national swimming team’s coaching staff, led by Emirati coach Marwan Al Hattawi.
He added, “My deepest thanks to the Ministry of Sports, the National Olympic Committee, and the UAE Aquatic Sports Federation. Their collective efforts have led to this remarkable success — and what lies ahead promises to be even greater in future international competitions.”
For his part, Marwan Al Hattawi, Head Coach of the UAE National Swimming Team, expressed his delight at the achievement of gold medallist Hussain Shawqi and the exceptional level he displayed throughout all events at the Games. He explained that preparations for the Asian Youth Games had been carried out effectively in the lead-up to the competition, beginning on 20 June of this year, when swimmers eligible by age category were first selected.
