The organising committee of the “I’m Talented” sports programme held a coordination meeting in preparation for the launch of the second edition of the intensive summer initiative, which is supported by the Olympic Solidarity Programme. The initiative aims to identify and nurture athletic talent among boys and girls aged 6 to 17, as part of a national vision to develop a distinguished generation of young athletes.
The meeting was chaired by Ms Salama Mohammed Atiq, Project Director of “I’m Talented – Sports,” with the attendance of the technical teams responsible for the sports featured in the programme. These include football, basketball, volleyball, karate, judo, weightlifting, padel, para-badminton, and boccia.
Also present was Ms Shereen Faisal, Marketing Manager representing the Nasser Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Centre, the programme’s technical partner responsible for conducting and analysing scientific and physical assessments.
The meeting covered the technical and scheduling framework of the programme, as well as the evaluation methodology for assessing participants’ motor, physical, and technical abilities. The aim is to select top-performing talents and integrate them into advanced development tracks under the national teams and youth divisions.
Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Hessa bint Khalid Al Khalifa, Chairwoman of the Equal Opportunities and Gender Balance in Sports Committee, affirmed that “I’m Talented” stands as one of Bahrain’s flagship national initiatives, reflecting the Kingdom’s commitment to gender equality and inclusion in the sports sector. She added:
“We are proud to see this programme continue to grow and expand in its second edition, with a greater focus on engaging girls alongside boys. This broader participation base promotes an equitable and empowering sporting environment. Our support stems from a firm belief in the importance of early talent identification and in ensuring equal opportunities for all to excel and thrive in sports.”
For her part, Project Director Salama Atiq noted that the second edition has attracted 800 participants across various sports, an impressive increase from the first edition, highlighting the growing engagement of the sporting community and its recognition of the programme’s impact on developing local talent.
The meeting concluded with confirmation of full readiness to launch the summer programme this coming August, with strict adherence to all technical and organisational standards to ensure the programme’s success and alignment with its strategic objectives.
