Ahmed Abdul Ghaffar has been appointed as Bahrain's Chef de Mission for the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games ©LinkedIn

Ahmed Abdul Ghaffar has been appointed as Bahrain's Chef de Mission for the re-arranged 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Ghaffar is the chief executive officer at digital sports marketing company Sport Talent. 

The Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) confirmed that it is planning to send athletes to compete in up to 18 sports at the postponed Asian Games.

The 19th Asian Games is scheduled to be held from September 23 to October 8 this year.

The event moved due to the COVID-19 pandemic is set to feature 483 events in 40 sports.

BOC vice-president Shaikh Isa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa announced that Bahrain will take part in 13 confirmed sports - athletics, handball, boxing, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, rowing, shooting, cycling, table tennis, taekwondo and sailing.

The National Olympic Committee is awaiting confirmation on basketball, football, volleyball, e-sports and cricket.

The BOC confirmed that it is planning to send athletes to compete in up to 18 sports at Hangzhou 2022 ©OCA
The BOC confirmed that it is planning to send athletes to compete in up to 18 sports at Hangzhou 2022 ©OCA

"This is a tremendous occasion for us," Al Khalifa said.

"As Team Bahrain, we are going to Hangzhou to compete, under the directives of our President His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

"We have certain sports that we target - such as athletics, judo, weightlifting- that we feel we can get a great achievement for Bahrain.

"Team Bahrain always aspires to achieve the best outcome, and we have a proper plan and a proper strategy to achieve this goal.

"We are going there to participate and to make sure Bahrain’s presence there is a success."

Bahrain made its debut in the Asian Games at Tehran 1974 and has now won a total of 84 medals ©Getty Images
Bahrain made its debut in the Asian Games at Tehran 1974 and has now won a total of 84 medals ©Getty Images

The information was announced during a BOC press conference at Wyndham Grand Manama in Bahrain Bay.

BOC secretary general Faris Al Kooheji, technical director Lounes Madene, Olympic Council of Asia director general Husain Al Musallam, Hangzhou 2022 supervision and audit department deputy director Xie Ning, and OCA project and operations manager Wissam Trkmani was present at the meeting.  

Musallam, also the President of World Aquatics, claimed that Hangzhou 2022 could be the "best Asian Games ever".

Bahrain made its Asian Games debut in 1974 in Tehran.

The country has won 84 medals, including 37 golds at the continental event.

The Middle East nation had its best performance so far at Jakarta Palembang 2018, where it won 26 medals, including 12 golds.