DUBAI: Bahrain is eagerly awaiting the return of Rashid Ramzi, the country's first-ever Olympic medal winner, with flowers, gifts and much more.
The Moroccon born Ramzi sprinted to a 1500m gold with a time of 3 minutes 32.94 seconds on Tuesday stunning this small nation of sports lovers which is also home to Formula One Grand Prix.
General Organisation for Youth and Sports (Goys) president Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, who is with the Bahraini squad in Beijing, termed the achievement as wonderful.
"Ramzi proved to the world that he is a true champion. We are absolutely thrilled with the result," he told Bahrain's Gulf Daily News.
Ramzi is expected to receive USD 80,000 in prize money from Goys alone, according to Shaikh Fawaz.
"He will also be receiving valuable gifts from His Majesty the King and the Crown Prince, who are some of the strongest supporters of Bahrain's athletics team," the Goys chief said.
"We would like to congratulate His Majesty, the Prime Minister, and the Crown Prince on this victory. We would also like to thank them for their congratulatory calls to us here in Beijing."
