By Hussain M. Bahrain's Sayed Hashim Ahmed put in a standout performance at the sixth Islamic Solidarity Games yesterday, taking home silver in the Tekken 8 tournament after a tense final against Saudi Arabia's Raef Alturkistani. Ahmed had looked strong throughout the tournament. He reached th
Bahrain’s Sayed Hashim Ahmed put in a standout performance at the sixth Islamic Solidarity Games yesterday, taking home silver in the Tekken 8 tournament after a tense final against Saudi Arabia’s Raef Alturkistani.
Ahmed had looked strong throughout the tournament. He reached the final with a 2-1 win over Turkey’s Emre Ozturk in the quarter-finals and a 2-1 victory against Alturkistani earlier in the bracket. But Alturkistani fought back through the repechage, defeating Morocco’s Hamza Chafai 2-0 and then Ozturk 2-0, setting up a rematch for gold. In a closely contested final, Alturkistani edged Ahmed, leaving Bahrain with a hard-fought silver.
Reflecting on the match, Ahmed said, “I’ve faced this opponent many times, and we’ve traveled together to competitions in America and Europe. Today he read my strategy and deserved his win. It was close, but I’m grateful to the Bahrain Olympic Committee, the Bahrain Esports Federation, and HH Shaikh Khalid for their constant support. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve aspired to win medals like this. I wanted the gold, especially after performing well throughout the tournament, but we’ll learn from our mistakes and come back stronger. I’m already looking forward to the Esports World Cup in Riyadh 2026.”
